The Prince and the Peasant
by RurouniGirl
Summary: This is an AU GundamW fic. It's about a prince who falls in love with a peasant. Yaoi. 1x2. Hints at 3x4. Can you guess who's the prince and who's the peasant? ^_^ Final Chapter is posted!!
1. Chapter 1

A/N- this is an AU fic which means it's not set in the usually GW universe. And Heero is slightly OOC.   
  
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 1  
  
by: RurouniGirl  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The door burst open and a servant stood panting in the doorway. "My Prince," he panted.   
  
The young prince turned to face the panting boy. "What is it Quatre?"   
  
"The King requests your presence. He wishes you to watch and learn about matters of diplomacy."   
  
Prince Duo sighed as he finished braiding his long chestnut hair. "Not again. Those things put me to sleep."   
  
He paused as he entered the throne room.   
  
"Ah, my son. Now you shall see how a real king handles diplomacy."   
  
Duo smiled cheerfully at his father. "I'm looking forward to it, father." Inside he was groaning. 'Another boring day of learning how to run the country.'   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Duo laughed happily as he ran through the woods. He was finally free from all those boring diplomatic lessons. He stopped and plopped down in the middle of the field he had been running through. He starred up at the sky, smiling. The sun was shining brightly, the smell of flowers wafted through the air, and the murmuring of a small brook could be heard not too far away.   
  
He sighed. It was a great day, but he felt so lonely. He didn't have many friends. The only real friends he had were Quatre and Trowa, but they were servants at the palace, so he didn't get to spend much time with them because of their duties. Besides, if his father knew he spent time with 'mere servants', he would be incredibly angry. He sighed and sat up, looking around. It was really beautiful out here. Suddenly, he heard some splashing. He stood up and went to see what it was.   
  
As he got closer to the brook, he could see a young boy standing waist deep in the water. He had brown hair, bright blue eyes, and had stripped his clothes from the waist up. They sat on the bank.   
  
Duo moved closer and a twig cracked under his feet. The other boy turned, looking startled and Duo approached the bank slowly. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to startle you."   
  
The other boy recovered from his shock, and quickly bowed his head. "My Prince," he said.   
  
Duo smiled. "Please," he said. "Don't bow to me."   
  
The other boy was hesitant. "It's all right. I don't like it when people treat me like I'm someone special."   
  
The other boy looked up, looking kind of confused. "But, you are someone special. You're the prince. And when your father dies you'll be the king."   
  
Duo sighed. "No, I'm not special. I'm just like you. We're both human beings and complete equals." He smiled at the other boy. "And, please. Don't call me Prince. Just call me Duo."   
  
The other boy smiled. "I'm Heero." He motioned for the young prince to join him. "Come on in. The waters actually very nice."   
  
The prince smiled happily as he stripped off his shirt and boots and waded in beside Heero.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The two boys lay in the field, letting the hot sun dry their clothes.   
  
"Duo?"   
  
Duo turned toward Heero. "Yes."   
  
"Why did you say you don't like being treated like someone special?"   
  
Duo sighed. "I hate being the prince," he blurted. "I don't have any freedom. I have no friends except for two of the servants, but they are busy with all their duties around the palace. I have no one I can talk to and tell my secrets to."   
  
Heero sat there listening to everything Duo was saying. He had never given much thought to what it would be like to be prince. Duo had looked incredibly lonely when he had stood on the bank of the brook and talked to him. He could see that the loneliness had vanished as they swam through the water. Now it was replaced by a look of sadness. He wished he could do something to make the other boy feel happy again, but he couldn't think of anything he could do. Instead, he said the first thing that came to his mind.   
  
"But, Duo. You do have a friend. I'm your friend. And you've already told me one of your secrets."   
  
Duo was a little surprised. "You're...you're my friend?"   
  
Heero nodded. "Of course."   
  
A huge smile lit the prince's face and he threw his arms around Heero. "Thank you," he whispered.   
  
Heero smiled. "You're welcome."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
Duo fidgeted as he waited for the council to end. He wanted to get out of this stuffy palace and see Heero. It had been two months since the boys had met and they had developed a steady relationship. They were more than just friends. It didn't matter that Duo was the prince and Heero was a peasant. Duo spent every minute he didn't have to spend at the palace with Heero.   
  
The council finally ended and Duo bolted out of the room. He was cut off as his father called him.   
  
"Son, don't forget about the dinner tonight. It's especially for you, so don't be late."   
  
Duo nodded. "I'll be there," he called as he ran down the hall and disappeared around the corner.   
  
The king smiled. Over the past months he had noticed a definite change in his son. He seemed happier now, but the king had no idea what had brought about the change. He shook his head as he headed for his meeting with the army generals and never gave it another thought.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Duo flung himself into Heero's arms and planted a firm kiss on the other boy's lips.   
  
Heero laughed. "Good to see you too."   
  
Duo smiled brightly. "I missed you," he said.   
  
Heero pulled the prince into a hug. "You just saw me yesterday evening."   
  
Duo smiled sweetly. "I know. But I still missed you. Fifteen hours is way too long," he said with a laugh.   
  
Heero grinned. "Well, I guess I'll have to make up for it."   
  
Duo smiled and grabbed Heero's hand, dragging him along. "Come on."   
  
"Where are we going?" Heero asked.   
  
Duo smiled slyly. "So you can make it up to me."   
  
Both boys ran off hand in hand, laughing.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Duo hurried into his room. If he didn't hurry he would be late for the dinner. He hurriedly pulled on a clean pair of pants. Quatre came in and help him lace up his shirt and brush his hair. He pulled his boots on and braided his hair as he raced out the door.   
  
"Thanks, Quatre."   
  
He raced down the hall and into the banquet hall. He was in his seat just as the king entered. He smiled.   
  
"Good, you made it on time."   
  
Duo smiled back. "Of course. I told you I would be here. I couldn't go back on my word."   
  
The king laughed as he took his seat. Everyone ate the meal happily. Music played and laughter filled the hall. As the dinner came to an end, the king stood up and the room fell silent.   
  
"Everyone. I have an important announcement."   
  
He turned to his son, smiling brightly. He waved to someone at the back of the room, and a beautiful young girl approached the table.   
  
"Son, this is Relena. She is from the next kingdom. I have just finished making arrangements with her father. She will be your bride."   
  
The entire room erupted in applause and cheers. Duo sat motionless.   
  
'No, it was impossible. He couldn't have a bride. He was already in love. He loved Heero. How could his father do this? He didn't want to marry some girl he didn't even know. His father had never even asked him if he wanted to get married.'   
  
He stood up, tears streaming down his face, and ran from the room. He had to get away. He didn't want to be anywhere near the palace. He raced down the hall and outside. He didn't know where he was going, and he didn't care.   
  
He finally collapsed onto the ground, trying to get air into his lungs. 'How could this be happening?' He heard someone approach him.   
  
"Duo? Duo, are you all right?"   
  
He turned his tear-stained face and saw Heero standing behind him. He flung his arms around the other boy and started to sob again.   
  
"He...Heero," was all he managed to sob out.   
  
Heero knelt down and wrapped his arms around the crying boy. "Shhh. Calm down. Tell me what's wrong."   
  
Duo managed to stop crying long enough to explain. "My father...has made arrangements...for me to marry...a princess from the next kingdom. I can't marry Relena. I just can't." he sobbed. "I love you. Not some princess I haven't even met before."   
  
With that said, the young prince burst into tears once again.   
  
Heero pulled him closer to him and kissed the top of his head. "It's all right," he said. "Just calm down."   
  
Duo's sobs gradually subsided. He looked up at Heero pleadingly. "What should I do?"   
  
Heero shook his head. "I don't know," he said. "Maybe...maybe you should tell your father the truth. Tell him that you're already in love."   
  
Duo nodded. "I guess I should have done that in the first place."   
  
Slowly, he stood up, Heero right behind him. Duo sighed. "I should go. They're probably wondering where I am."   
  
Heero nodded. "Goodnight, my dear prince."   
  
Duo smiled and kissed Heero lightly. "Goodnight, my handsome koi."   
  
He smiled at Heero once more before turning and heading back to the castle. He had some things to discuss with his father.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"What?" the King yelled in an outrage. Duo stood in front of him, unmoving. The king was furious. "My son, a freak. How could you do this to me? How could you fall in love with another boy?"   
  
Duo stood there, trying his best to stand up to his father. "I won't marry Relena, father."   
  
"You will marry her. I won't have a freak for a son," the king yelled.   
  
Duo couldn't take it any more. "I don't care what you think," he shouted. "I love Heero and I won't marry Relena."   
  
The king screamed in frustration. "Not only is my freak son in love with another boy, but with a worthless peasant."   
  
Duo was furious. "Heero is NOT a worthless peasant. He's kind and gentle. He respects me and accepts me for who I am. And I respect him and accept him for who he is."   
  
The king snorted. "Respect a...a peasant?"   
  
Duo nodded. "That's right, father."   
  
The king sighed. "You know, Duo, I really hate to do this to you, but you leave me no other choice. You are confined to the palace."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Author's Notes: What do you think? Good? Bad? As usually, please let me know.  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

A/N- okay guys, here's the second part. Hope you enjoy it.  
  
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 2  
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
  
  
Duo sighed as he continued to stare out his window. In the past month he had developed a serious case of boredom and depression. He hadn't seen Heero for so long. He missed him. Missed everything about him. The way he kissed, his scent, the way he always made Duo feel giddy and happy. He sighed again. It was only one week until he was supposed to marry Relena. The king had wanted the wedding to take place as soon as possible. Duo didn't care what his father said. He wouldn't marry Relena. He wouldn't. He'd just as soon kill himself, than marry her.   
  
He turned as someone tapped on the door, and then stepped inside. It was Quatre, followed by Trowa. Duo smiled weakly.   
  
Quatre shook his head at the prince's appearance. He was tired and worn out. He had dark circles under his eyes and his hair hung in a shaggy mess around his body.   
  
"Come, my Prince. Let's get you cleaned up. Trowa and I have a surprise for you."   
  
Duo looked a little confused. "A surprise? For me?"   
  
Trowa nodded. "Yes, a surprise for you."   
  
He allowed Quatre to help him put on a clean shirt, then brush and braid his hair. He stood up and put on a clean pair of pants and pulled on his boots. He followed the two servants from the room, wondering where they were taking him. He finally asked.   
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
"You'll see," was the reply.   
  
They finally stopped beside the door to Quatre and Trowa's bedroom. Duo looked around in confusion.   
  
"What are we doing here?"   
  
Quatre smiled. "Open the door and you'll see."   
  
Duo did as he was told and nearly fainted at what he saw. Standing in the room, was Heero. Duo ran to him and flung his arms around him, holding him as tight as he could without hurting him.   
  
"Heero," he said, tears streaming down his face.   
  
Heero smiled as he looked down at the prince. "I missed you," he whispered quietly.   
  
Duo buried his face in Heero's shoulder. "I missed you, too."  
  
The two just stood there, holding each other. Finally, Duo managed to stop crying.   
  
"Heero," he started. "You shouldn't be here. If my father finds out about this..."   
  
Heeero silenced him with a kiss. "Don't worry, he won't find out."   
  
Duo smiled. "I've missed you so much," he said, kissing Heero again.  
  
Heero grinned. "How about we do a little catching up?"  
  
Duo merely smiled and pulled Heero in for another kiss.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Duo sighed contentedly as he snuggled closer to Heero. He smiled as he felt Heero's arm wrap around his waist.  
  
"Sleep well?" Heero asked quietly.  
  
Duo nodded and kissed Heero on the cheek. "Extremely well."  
  
They both looked up as someone knocked on the door.  
  
"Come in," Duo called.  
  
Quatre stuck his head in. "I'm sorry," he said. "But..."  
  
"I should be leaving," Heero finished for him.   
  
Quatre smiled. "I'll wait right outside the door. Come out when you're ready."  
  
Heero got up and began to pull on his clothes. He looked over at Duo and smiled.  
  
"I'm glad I got to see you."  
  
Duo got up, wrapping his arms around Heero. "Me too," he said.   
  
Quatre looked up as the two boys come outside. "Trowa will show you out of the castle," he said to Heero.  
Heero nodded. He kissed Duo quickly and followed Trowa. When they had disappeared around the corner Duo turned toward Quatre and gave him a big hug.  
  
"Oh, thank you Quatre. That meant so much to me."  
  
Quatre smiled. "I know," he said. "I can see the change in your mood."  
  
Duo grinned. His grin turned to a frown as one of his father's servants came up to him.   
  
"The king wishes your presence immediately."  
  
Duo sighed. 'What could his father want? He hadn't talked to him since placing him under house arrest.'  
  
Slowly, he trudged toward the thrown room. The king looked up as he entered.   
  
Duo walked forward. His father looked angry. He stood in front of his father, remaining silent.  
  
Someone cleared their throat. He turned and saw Trowa. He was surprised to see his hands chained in front of him and two guards stood on either side of him.  
  
"I'm sorry," he mouthed.  
  
Duo looked confused. He turned back toward his father. "Why did you ask to see me?"  
  
The king snapped his fingers and the door to the thrown room burst open. Duo gasped as two guards came in dragging someone between them.  
  
"Heero!" Duo said, hurrying forward. Two guards stepped forward refusing to let him pass. Duo whirled around to face his father.  
  
"Why are you doing this, father?"  
  
The king looked at his son with disdain. "You will marry Relena, son."  
  
Duo was furiously. "No father. I won't marry her. I don't love her." He turned toward Heero, a tear slipped down his cheek. "I love Heero."  
  
The king snorted. "Well, you'll just have to get over it. You will marry Relena. I'll make sure of that."  
  
Duo shook his head. "No father, I won't marry her."  
  
The king shook his head. "That's too bad. Because if you don't marry her, I'll be forced to execute your little peasant boy."  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: so, what did you think? Lame, right? Anyway, I hope enjoyed it. Please review. RurouniGirl  
  
  
  
  



	3. Chapter 3

A/N- here's part 3. Hope you enjoy it. Oh, a very annoying Relena. *evil grin*. Remember to review.  
  
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 3  
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
  
  
Duo was torn. How could his father do this? He looked back at Heero and his heart sank. He sighed and turned back toward his father.  
  
"All right, father. You win. I will marry Relena. But, you have to promise not to hurt Heero. Let him go."  
  
The king smiled. "I knew you would see things from my point of view. But, I'm afraid that I won't be able to let your peasant go until after your wedding. I wouldn't want you changing your mind."  
  
Duo knew his father would do something like that, but it was better than watching Heero die. At least if he married Relena, Heero would be able to live.  
  
"Fine," he replied. "But, if you hurt him..." he let his voice trail off in a menacing tone.  
  
The king laughed and Heero was dragged out of the throne room. He turned to the guards holding Trowa.  
  
"Throw him in the dungeon with the peasant boy."  
  
Duo jumped forward.  
  
"No, father. Trowa didn't do anything, why are you throwing him in the dungeon?"  
  
"He was helping your little peasant. That is in direct disobedience to my wishes. Anyone who disobeys the king must be punished."  
  
Duo couldn't believe it. Not only was his father throwing the person he loved into the dungeon, but he was also throwing one of his best, and only, friends in the dungeon as well.  
  
He looked over at Trowa. His face showed exactly what he was thinking. 'I'm sorry, I can't do anything.'  
  
Trowa smiled and shook his head. "It's all right. At least this way, I can make sure they don't hurt Heero," he whispered, as the guards led him out.  
  
Duo sighed. As much as he hated to see his friend thrown in the dungeon, he was relieved that such a good friend was helping him. He felt a lot better knowing that Trowa would watch out for Heero. No one would get near the boy when Trowa was around.  
  
He turned back toward his father. The king had a smug grin on his face. Duo wanted to wipe that grin right off his face. Instead, he turned on his heels and walked out of the thrown room. He had to find Quatre and let him know what had happened.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
Duo hurried through the halls. Quatre was nowhere to be found. 'Where was he?' He came to an abrupt halt as he rounded the corner and came face to face with Relena. She smiled sweetly.  
  
"Duo, I've been looking for you."  
  
Duo forced back his groan. "Relena. I'm sorry, but I'm kind of in a hurry right now," he said as he hurried around her.   
  
"What's the hurry?" she asked, reaching out and taking his hand. "Shouldn't you be spending a little more time with your bride-to-be? You've barely spoken a word to me since I arrived."  
  
Duo grimaced at the word 'bride-to-be.' "Look, Relena. I really need to go."  
  
He tried to pull his hand away from her, but she refused to let go.   
  
"No you don't. You are not going to get away from me that easily. We're getting married in six days, and I'd like to get to know my future husband a little more."  
  
She stepped closer to him. "What do you say? Let's get to know each other a little more." She reached up and kissed him.  
  
Duo reeled back, pushing her away from him. "What do you think you're doing?" he shouted.  
  
Relena stood there, shocked. "I was kissing you."  
  
Duo tried his best to control his anger. "Well, don't," he said in a calmer voice than before. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."  
  
He turned and hurried down the hall and out of sight before Relena could protest. Once he was positive that he had gotten away from Relena, he stopped and leaned up against the wall with a sigh.  
  
"What's the matter, Prince Duo?"  
  
Duo jumped. "Quatre! There you are. I've been looking for you everywhere."  
  
"What is it? What's wrong?"  
  
Duo sighed. He told him about Heero and Trowa, about his promise to marry Relena, and about the little episode with Relena. It ended when Duo burst into tears.  
  
Quatre pulled Duo into a hug. "It's all right. We'll figure something out. Don't worry."  
  
Duo remained silent. It was just too much. All he had wanted was a little happiness. Was that too much to ask for? Now, his father had taken that happiness away.   
  
He pulled away from Quatre and started to walk down the hall.   
  
"Wait. Where are you going?"  
  
Duo turned a resolute face toward Quatre. "I'm not going to give up. I'm going to figure something out. But first, I'm going to make sure that Heero and Trowa are all right."  
  
Quatre couldn't help smiling. Duo could be so stubborn sometime, but he never gave up. And right now, not giving up was a good thing.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
Duo looked around the corner. All of the guards were gone so he hurried around the corner.   
  
"Heero. Trowa," he whispered, as he approached the cell.   
  
Duo frowned as he saw them. Heero looked okay, but Trowa had a black eye. A small gasp informed them of Quatre's presence.  
  
"Trowa, what happened?"  
  
The other boy smiled. "Nothing much. I was just keeping a promise I made to a friend," he said, looking at Duo.  
  
Quatre put his small hand through the bars and gingerly touched the black eye. Trowa's face showed nothing, but Quatre didn't miss the flicker of pain that passed through his green eyes.  
  
"I'll see if I can bring you a salve to put on that so it doesn't hurt so much."  
  
Trowa smiled and nodded in agreement.   
  
Duo smiled at the two boys. He looked over at Heero.   
  
"Are you all right, Heero?"  
  
Heero nodded. "I'm fine," he said. "What about you?"  
  
Duo sighed. "Well, except for the fact that my father has threatened to execute the one person that I love if I don't marry Relena, I'm fine."  
  
Heero shook his head. "You don't have to do this, Duo. You don't have to marry her."  
  
A tear slipped down Duo's cheek. "I'm not gonna let my father kill you, Heero. I love you. And if making sure you're alive means that I have to marry Relena, then I'll marry Relena. I wouldn't be able to live if I knew you had died because of me."  
  
Heero reached through the bars and wiped the tear away. "I love you, Duo. But, it would kill me seeing you married to someone else. Knowing that we were meant for each other, but not being able to be together. I would rather die then see you unhappy."  
  
Another tear slipped down Duo's cheek. "Don't worry, Heero. I'll figure something out. I don't know how, but I will. I won't marry Relena."  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: okay, as usual, what did you think? Review. RurouniGirl  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. Chapter 4

A/N- well, here's the next part. Not much to say about it. It's a little shorter than the other chapters, but just as enjoyable, I hope. Hope you enjoy. ^_^  
  
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 4  
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
  
  
Duo sighed as he rolled out of bed. He hadn't slept at all. He had been up all night trying to figure out what to do. How could he get Heero out of the dungeon in time? If he refused to marry Relena at the wedding ceremony, the king would execute Heero. He had to get Heero out of the dungeon, he just didn't know how.  
  
He got dressed quickly and went to find Quatre. Quatre was in the kitchen's scrubbing the table. He looked up as Duo entered.  
  
"Are you all right?" he asked. "You look like you didn't sleep at all last night."  
  
Duo smiled weakly. "That's because I didn't." he replied. "I was trying to come up with a plan. A way to get Heero out of the dungeon before the wedding. If I can just get him out, then my father won't be able to use Heero to force me to marry Relena."  
  
Quatre nodded his agreement. "That's true. But it will be very difficult to get Heero out."  
  
Duo nodded. "I know, but I have to do something."  
  
Quatre smiled. "I know. I'll try to come up with something that might help. In the meantime, you're father wants to see you."  
  
Duo grimaced. 'What did his father want now? He had already made his life miserable, what else could he do?'  
  
He sighed and headed for the throne room.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Duo stood in front of his father. Relena was standing next to the king, a triumphant and smug grin on her face. Duo's heart sank. 'What was she up to?'  
  
"Son," the king began. "Why won't you spend time with Relena? She is your bride. You will have to spend time with her."  
  
Duo sighed. "I do not want to spend time with her."  
  
The king shook his head at Duo's response. "You are going to marry her, son. So I suggest you forget about that worthless peasant, and start spending time with your bride."  
  
Duo erupted with rage. "Heero is not worthless!" he shouted. "I love him. I love him more than anything else in the world. He is my life. And the only reason I'm marrying Relena is because I love him. I couldn't bear to see you kill him. I couldn't bear it if he died because of me. Because I refused to marry Relena. That's is the only reason I am marrying her. That's it. I'm marrying her only because I love Heero."  
  
He finally stopped for breath, tears pouring down his cheeks. He stood in front of his father and Relena panting for breath.  
  
"Now," he said. "Is there anything else you wanted, father?" He spat out the word 'father' vehemently.  
  
The king shook his head, shocked by his son's outburst.  
  
"Good." Duo turned and stalked out of the throne room.  
  
Once he was outside he ran down the hall and into his bedroom. He flung himself onto the bed, burying his face in the pillow, and began to sob.   
  
What was he going to do? He couldn't marry that...that despicable woman. He just couldn't. But he couldn't let Heero die. He had to do something. He just didn't know what.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Duo woke with a start. He hadn't realized he had fallen asleep. He had woken up when Quatre shook him. He turned toward the blonde boy.  
  
"What is it? What's wrong?"  
  
Quatre smiled. "Nothing's wrong. It's almost dinnertime. The king sent me to bring you to the dining hall."  
  
Duo yawned. "I didn't realize I had fallen asleep. How long have I been asleep?"  
  
Quatre shrugged. "I'm not quite sure. Since you stormed out of the throne room, I think."  
  
Duo's eyes widened. "But, that was this morning. Why didn't you wake me up?"  
  
Quatre nodded. "Because you needed the sleep. You haven't had a descent night's sleep in a long time."  
  
Duo smiled. "Thanks, Quatre."  
  
He stood up and stretched. "I guess I should get ready for dinner."  
  
"I'll help you," Quatre said, as he pulled some clothes out of the closet.   
  
Duo pulled on a clean pair of pants and Quatre helped him lace up his shirt. Once Duo was dressed, he helped the young prince brush his tangled hair, and put it back into a braid.  
  
"Thanks, Quatre," he said as they hurried out the door.  
  
Quatre smiled and nodded. "You're welcome. Now, you'd better hurry up and get in there before you're father gets angry."  
  
Duo nodded. He gave Quatre a quick hug before entering the dining hall, and the worst dinner of his entire life.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Duo sighed. This was the longest dinner of his entire life. He was sitting next to his father and Relena was sitting next to him. She kept hanging all over him and leaning over, whispering things in his ear. It was driving him crazy, but he couldn't do anything about it. Not in front of all these people.  
  
'Aren't they a cute couple? Look at how adorable. They look so much in love.'  
  
Duo tried to block these comments out but had little success. They finally became too much for him. He hurriedly stood up and ran from the room, seeking the quiet sanctuary of his dark bedroom. He just couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't take Her anymore.  
  
He sank down onto his bed and stared out his window. The stars were shining brightly. They looked so bright and cheerful. It didn't fit his depressed mood. He sighed, turning over on his stomach. This wasn't good. He only had four more days to figure something out.   
  
'He had to figure something out, he just had to.'   
  
  
  
Author's Notes: so, what do you think? Please review. RurouniGirl   
  
  
  
  



	5. Chapter 5

A/N- Here's the next chapter. Only 4 days until the disaster wedding. Will Duo think of something on time? Well, you'll just have to wait and find out. Mwahahahaha. Enjoy. Oh, yeah. Wufei is in this chapter. I finally figured out how to get him in the story.  
  
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 5  
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
  
  
Four days until Duo was supposed to marry Relena. He still hadn't been able to come up with a plan. He sighed. He seemed to be sighing a lot lately, but he had a lot to sigh about.   
  
"What am I going to do?" he asked himself.  
  
He turned around as Quatre entered his room.   
  
"I'm sorry if I'm interrupting," Quatre apologized. "But, your father wants to see you."  
  
Duo sighed again. "What does he want this time?"  
  
Quatre shrugged. "I'm not sure. But, there's a new soldier here. I think it has something to do with that."  
  
Now Duo was interested. "A new soldier?"  
  
Quatre nodded. "Yes, I haven't seen him yet, but all the servant girls are talking about him. They say he's very handsome. He came from Relena's kingdom. They said something about him being Relena's personal guard or something."  
  
Duo nodded and headed toward the throne room. As he entered, he noticed the new guard standing off to Relena's side. He was young, about Duo's age, and had black hair pulled back into a ponytail.  
  
"Father," he said, standing in front of the king.  
  
"Son."  
  
Duo looked at his father expectantly.   
  
"Son, this is Wufei," he said, indicating the boy. "He is Relena's personal guard. Her father sent him here to watch out for her after your marriage."  
  
Duo nodded at Wufei. The other boy nodded and smiled slightly. Duo smiled back, and then returned his attention to his father.  
  
"I want you to show him around the palace and the rest of the kingdom. Help him get to know it."  
  
Duo nodded. He winced when Relena spoke.  
  
"I want to go with them," she said.  
  
Duo groaned silently. He looked over at Wufei pleadingly. Wufei rolled his eyes and indicated Relena. Duo tried not to laugh.  
  
"That would be very unwise, Princess." Wufei replied. "You're father still has many enemies. It wouldn't do to have his daughter captured or killed."  
  
The King nodded in agreement. "Wufei is right, Relena. It would be wiser for you to stay here."  
  
She nodded. "All right," she said, pouting.  
  
Duo motioned for Wufei to follow him out of the room. Once they were outside in the hall, Duo turned toward Wufei.  
  
"Thank you. I don't know how much of her I can stand."  
  
Wufei smiled. "I know how you feel."  
  
Duo grinned. "How do you do it? How can you put up with her every single day?"  
  
Wufei shrugged. "I guess you just get used to it."  
  
Duo smiled. "Well, you have all my admiration just for putting up with her."  
  
Wufei laughed as they headed down the hall. Duo ended the tour of the palace with the dungeons. He shivered as they stepped down to the dungeon.  
  
"And this is the dungeon." He said. "I guess that's it. I've shown you the whole palace. Tomorrow I'll show the rest of the kingdom."  
  
Wufei nodded. "Thank you for showing me around."  
  
Duo nodded absently. His attention had turned to something down the hall.   
  
"No problem," he said.   
  
Wufei smiled. "Well, I think I'll go rest a little before dinner. I'll see you then."  
  
"All right." He smiled as Wufei headed back to his room. Then he turned and headed toward the cell.  
  
"Heero? Trowa?"  
  
Heero looked up and smiled. "Duo, what brings you here?"  
  
Duo smiled "Just came to see how you were doing."  
  
Trowa smiled and Duo noticed a fresh bruise on his cheek.  
  
"That wasn't there yesterday," he said, pointing to the mark.  
  
Trowa touched the bruise gingerly. "Oh, it's nothing. I just made one of the guards a little angry."  
  
Duo smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry," he said. "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be in this mess."  
  
Trowa shook his head. "It wasn't your fault. Now, I'll let you talk to Heero. That's what you came here for, isn't it?"  
  
Duo smiled. "Thanks."   
  
He turned toward Heero. "How are they treating you?" he asked, a slight quiver in his voice.  
  
Heero smiled. "Probably better than most prisoners." He reached a hand through the bars and took Duo's hand in his. "You look better. Not as tired."  
  
Duo smiled. "I got a little sleep," he replied.   
  
Duo looked up at the sound of the returning guard. He smiled apologetically.  
  
"I have to go before the guard sees me."  
  
Heero nodded. "I understand."  
  
Duo smiled and kissed Heero's hand. "I love you," he said, then turned and hurried out of the dungeon.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Wufei peeked around the corner and watched as Duo stopped in front of the cell. He had been curious as to what the prince had been so interested in. Now he saw it. There were two boys in the cell.   
  
He watched as one of the boys reached through the bars and took Duo's hand. He was too far away to hear what they were saying, but he could guess what was going on by the looks on their faces.  
  
He was alerted by the sound of the approaching guard. He took one last look at the two boys before turning and hurrying up the stairs.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Duo was glad of Wufei's presence that night at dinner. His father had placed Relena on his left and Duo on his right. Wufei was seated next to Duo.  
  
They chatted pleasantly throughout the meal. When they had finished eating and everyone was sitting around chatting, Wufei got up and motioned for Duo to follow him onto the balcony.   
  
"You looked like you wanted to get out of there," Wufei said, as they looked out at the gardens.  
  
Duo nodded. "I hate all this," he admitted. "I hate being treated like I'm someone special. I never asked to be prince." He sighed. "I never wanted to marry Relena. All I ever wanted was a little happiness."   
  
He turned his head to look at Wufei. "You know, you're one of the only people I've told my secret to. I'm not sure why I did, but I know I can trust you."  
  
Wufei smiled. "I'm honored that you trust me that much."  
  
Duo smiled back. "You're one of my few friends. I don't have many real friends, but you're one of them."  
  
"I'm glad that you think of me as your friend."  
  
Duo smiled and for the next couple of minutes they just stood there in companionable silence. It was Wufei who broke the silence.  
  
"You said that all you ever wanted was a little happiness." He looked at Duo. "Did you ever get that happiness?"  
  
Duo felt his eyes start to water. "Yes," he said. "But my father took it away."   
  
Wufei was silent before speaking again. "Was it...that boy in the dungeon?"  
  
Duo looked up in surprise and Wufei smiled.  
  
"Yes," Duo answered quietly. He felt the tears running down his cheeks.   
  
"All I ever wanted was someone who saw me for who I was. Not as a prince, but as a person. Heero saw who I really was. He didn't care that I was a prince. He treated me like a normal human being."  
  
Wufei stood next to Duo and put a comforting arm around his shoulder. Tears continued to pour down Duo's face.  
  
"I was finally happy with Heero. Then my father went ahead and made arrangements for me to marry Relena. I was so upset. Heero urged me to tell my father the truth so I did. My father called me a freak for loving another boy. 'A worthless peasant boy,' as he put it. He placed me under house arrest."  
  
Duo stopped to catch his breath. He was grateful for Wufei's company. He was being so understanding. Once he had caught his breath, he continued.  
  
"My two best friends, Quatre and Trowa, saw how much being away from Heero was effecting me. I didn't eat. I didn't sleep. They saw how unhappy I was, so they snuck Heero into the palace to see me. He was caught when Trowa was sneaking him out of the palace. My father threatened to execute Heero unless I married Relena. After I agreed to the marriage, my father had Heero and Trowa thrown into the dungeon."  
  
Wufei was shocked. How could the king treat his own son like this? He shook his head, looking at Duo. The prince looked so unhappy.   
  
"What are you going to do?" Wufei asked.  
  
Duo shook his head. "I don't know. I've been trying to figure something out. Some way to get Heero out of the dungeon before the wedding, but I haven't been able to come up with anything. Quatre is also trying to think of something, but he hasn't had any luck either."  
  
Wufei thought about it for a moment before responding. "I'll help you."  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: so, as usual, what did you think? Review. RurouniGirl  



	6. Chapter 6

A/N- well, here's the next part. This story is turning out to be longer than I thought. I hope all of you are enjoying this. Have fun reading. ^_^  
  
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 6  
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
  
Duo was getting desperate. It was only three days until the wedding and he still didn't have a plan. But he would. With Wufei and Quatre helping him, he would think of some way to get Heero and Trowa out of the dungeon.  
  
He was startled out of his thoughts by someone knocking on his door.  
  
"Come in," he called.   
  
The door opened and Relena stepped inside. She smiled sweetly.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Duo asked.  
  
She stepped forward. "I came to talk. There's only three days until our wedding and I want to get to know you better."  
  
Duo backed away. "There is nothing to talk about."  
  
She moved closer. "Oh, but there is. We know so little about each other. We should get to know each other a little more."  
  
Duo pushed past her and headed for the door.   
  
"I already know more about you than I ever wanted to."   
  
He opened the door and motioned to her. "Now, it's time for you to leave."  
  
She was taken aback. "But..."  
  
"Now," Duo said. "I want you out of my room."  
  
She shook her head. "Fine. But you will have to face the truth. Whether you like it or not, you are going to marry me in three days."  
  
Duo held the door opened. "Good bye, Relena."  
  
Relena sighed and exited the room. Duo sighed as he closed the door and collapsed against the wall. He didn't know how much longer he could take this.   
  
There was another knock on his door.  
  
"Who is it?" he called.  
  
"It's Wufei," came the reply.   
  
Duo flung the door open and ushered Wufei into his room.  
  
"What was Relena doing here?" Wufei asked.  
  
Duo sighed. "Annoying the hell out of me. She wants to 'get to know me better.' She just doesn't get it."  
  
Wufei looked at Duo sympathetically. "Well, at least you'll get to spend the day away from her. You ready to go?"  
  
Duo nodded. "Yep. Let's go."  
  
The two boys smiled and headed out for Wufei's tour of the kingdom.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Duo and Wufei spent the whole day riding through the kingdom. By the end of the day, the two boys were exhausted. Duo sighed. He didn't feel like going back to the palace just now, so he decided to show Wufei one of his favorite spots.  
  
They finally stopped when they came to an opened field filled with wild flowers.   
  
"It's beautiful," Wufei said in a hushed tone.  
  
Duo nodded his agreement and dismounted. Wufei followed Duo's example. He followed Duo as he walked through the field toward the forest. They stopped at a small brook.  
  
Duo smiled happily as he looked around.  
  
"This is where I first met Heero," he told Wufei.   
  
He stripped off his shirt and boots and waded into the water. The cool water felt refreshing. He smiled as he remembered the first day he had spent with Heero. It was the first day he had ever felt like a normal boy, just having fun.  
  
Wufei joined him in the water and for the first time since that day, Duo felt like a normal boy again. He was grateful that he had such a good friend who understood him.   
  
As the two of them lay out in the field looking up at the stars he remembered the conversation he had in this field with Heero the first time they had met.  
  
"The stars are so bright and cheerful tonight," Duo said. "It doesn't fit my mood."  
  
Wufei turned to look at Duo. "How do you feel?"  
  
Duo sighed. "Depressed. I've never been so depressed in my entire life."  
  
"You miss him, don't you?"  
  
Duo nodded. "Yes. I love him more than anything. He means the world to me."   
  
Duo turned to look at Wufei and a tear slipped down his cheek. "He's my life."  
  
Wufei felt tears forming in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall.  
  
"Don't worry," he said. "We'll figure something out."  
  
Duo smiled. "Thanks, Wufei."  
  
Wufei was confused. "For what?"  
  
Duo put an arm around Wufei's shoulders. "Just, for being my friend. You've been a lot of help. And I thank you for that."  
  
Wufei smiled. "You're welcome," he said. "Now, I think we should get back to the palace. It's getting late."  
  
Duo nodded his agreement and the two boys headed back to the palace.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Duo stumbled into his room. He was exhausted. It had been a long day, but he had enjoyed most of it. He had almost been able to forget about all of his troubles.  
  
Now, as he lay in his bed, they all came back to him. 'How was he going to do this? There had to be something he was missing. He just couldn't figure it out.'  
  
He rolled over and soon drifted off to sleep.  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: okay, what do you think? I know it was a little sappy at parts, but I couldn't help it. This story is kind of writing itself. As always, please review. RurouniGirl  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. Chapter 7

A/N- here's the next part. I hope you're enjoying this story so far.   
  
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 7  
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
  
Duo peeked around the corner. Relena was nowhere in sight. He hurried around the corner and ran down the hall. He had been trying to avoid Relena all day, but had had little luck. It's like she had some kind of sixth sense. She always knew where Duo was. It was starting to get to him.  
  
He finally made it to his bedroom. No sooner had he flopped down onto his bed, then there was a knock on his door. He sighed as he got up to answer it. 'Now what?'  
  
He opened the door to find Quatre standing there. "Your father wants to see you."  
  
Duo groaned. "Now what?"  
  
Quatre shrugged. "I don't know, but I have a feeling it's not going to be good."  
  
Duo sighed and trudged down the hall toward the throne room yet again. He stood in front of his father and waited for him to speak.  
  
"Son, you haven't spent any time with Relena since she arrived."  
  
Duo shrugged. "And?"  
  
The king snorted. "And I want to know why you are neglecting your bride."  
  
Duo shrugged again. "There isn't any reason to spend time with her."  
  
The king looked slightly agitated. "What do you mean by that? You're going to marry her."  
  
Duo nodded. "Yes, I'm going to marry her. But I'm not going to love her. I'm not going know her. I am just going to marry her."  
  
By now the king was enraged. "Listen, son. You are marrying Relena and you are going to spend time with her. You are going to spend the whole day with her."  
  
Duo groaned. 'Oh god. No. He couldn't spend a whole day with her.' "Father..."  
  
"No. You are going to spend time with her."  
  
"Father, are you trying to make me kill myself?"  
  
The king was taken aback by this response. "What? What are you talking about?"  
  
Duo looked his father straight in the eye. "I mean, that I would rather kill myself than spend an entire day with that...that woman."  
  
He stared at his speechless father for a minute, then turned and left the throne room.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Duo collapsed onto his bed. He couldn't take much more of this. It was just too much. He needed to see Heero.   
  
He snuck out of his room and down to the dungeon. After making sure the guard was gone he approached the cell.  
  
"Heero," he whispered softly, a slight quiver to his voice.  
  
Heero looked up as Duo spoke, concern etched on his face. He came over to stand in front of Duo.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked softly.  
  
"I..." Duo's voice caught in his throat. He swallowed and a few tears slipped down his cheek.  
  
"I can't take much more of this," he said. "It's driving me insane. She's driving me insane. Do you know what I just told my father?"  
  
He stopped and looked at Heero, tears streaming down his face.  
  
"I told him that I would rather kill myself than spend an entire day with Relena."  
  
He collapsed against the bars his whole body shaking. Heero reached through the bars and held Duo as best as he could.   
  
"Shhh. It's all right. It's going to be all right."  
  
Duo just stood there, relishing Heero's touch. It had been such a long time since Heero had held him. He finally managed to stop sobbing.  
  
"I'm sorry. I just don't know how much longer I can stand this."   
  
He looked at Heero and almost started to cry again.  
  
"I miss you," he whispered. "I miss you so much."  
  
A tear slipped down Heero's cheek.   
  
"I know," he said. "I miss you too."  
  
Trowa looked up at sound of approaching footsteps.   
  
"I'm sorry to interrupt," he said. "But, the guard is on his way back."  
  
Duo nodded. "Thanks, Heero. I needed that."  
  
Heero smiled. "Yeah, me too."  
  
Duo smiled and hurried out of the dungeon.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Duo looked up as Wufei came into his room.  
  
"Hey, Wufei. Is something wrong?"  
  
Wufei shook his head. "No. I just came to see if you were all right. I heard about what happened with your father."  
  
He grinned. "I haven't seen Relena this upset before. She was so mad that you blew her off." He laughed. "The look on her face was priceless."  
  
Duo smiled. "Yeah, I'm okay. I was upset at first, but I went to see Heero and I feel much better now."  
  
Wufei sighed in relief. "Good. I'm glad you're okay."  
  
Duo shook his head. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. It's you I'm worried about."  
  
Wufei looked confused. "Me?"  
  
Duo nodded. "Yeah, you. You're Relena's personal guard. You'll have to put up with an angry Relena."  
  
Wufei shook his head and laughed. "Ah, don't worry about me. I know how to deal with Relena."  
  
Duo smiled. "Hey, Wufei?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Thanks again for being my friend."  
  
Wufei grinned. "Sure. Any time."  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: okay, what do you think so far? It's coming along, right? As always, please review. RurouniGirl  



	8. Chapter 8

A/N- here's the next part. I hope you're enjoying this story so far.   
  
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 8  
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
  
By now, Duo was starting to panic. He only had one more day until he was supposed to be getting married.   
  
He sighed. At the moment he was stuck in a council meeting. He was starting to get impatient. 'Why did these things have to take so long? He had better things to do than sit through boring meetings.'  
  
The meeting was finally over and he was the first one out of the room. He hurried down the hall to the kitchen.  
  
"Hey, Quatre."  
  
The blonde looked up and smiled. "Good. You're done. Wufei's been looking for you everywhere."  
  
Duo grinned. "Do you know where he is now?"  
  
Quatre nodded. "Yeah. He's in the weapons room. He's doing some training."  
  
Duo nodded. "Thanks, Quatre."  
  
He headed down to the weapons room. When he walked into the room Wufei was going through some sword techniques. Duo was impressed. He hadn't realized how talented Wufei was when it came to sword fighting.  
  
Wufei stopped as he noticed Duo standing there. He smiled and walked over to Duo.  
  
"Hey, I've been looking for you."  
  
Duo nodded. "I know. Quatre told me. So, why were you looking for me?"  
  
Wufei grinned. Duo wasn't sure what Wufei was up to, but he knew that it had to be something good.  
  
"What? What is it?"  
  
Wufei's grin got even wider. "I've got a plan."  
  
Duo stared at Wufei in shock. Then a grin spread across his face. "You have a plan to get Heero out?"  
  
Wufei nodded. "Yes. But I want Quatre here when I tell it to you. He's a part of it."  
  
Duo nodded. "I'll go get him, then you can tell us the plan."   
  
Duo turned to leave then turned back to Wufei and gave him a hug.   
  
"Thanks Wufei. You're the best friend ever."   
  
With that said, he left to go get Quatre.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
The three boys met in Duo's room to go over the plan. Once all three were settled Wufei started.  
  
"Okay, now here's what we're going to do. We have to distract the guard and get the key from him."  
  
He pointed to Quatre. "That's where you come in. You distract him. Say you're bringing food for the prisoners or something like that. Just distract him long enough for us to get the key."  
  
Quatre nodded. "Okay. Got it."  
  
Wufei nodded. "Good. Now, once we have the key I'll get the guard out of the dungeon or at least away from the cell. I'll tell him there's an emergency and king need him."  
  
He looked around to see if that was all right.   
  
"Sounds good so far," Duo said. "After you get rid of the guard, then what."  
  
"You let Heero and Trowa out of the cell and get them out of the dungeon."  
  
Duo nodded. "That's great, Wufei."  
  
Quatre nodded in agreement.  
  
Wufei smiled. "Good, then we have a plan. We'll do it tonight."  
  
The other two boys agreed to meet outside the dungeon that night, and then Duo's room.  
  
Once they were gone, Duo flopped onto his bed. He was so relieved that Wufei had figured something out. He smiled to himself and went to get ready for that night.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
"But I was told to bring food down for the two prisoners." Quatre continued to argue with the guard.  
  
Wufei quietly approached from behind. Slowly he reached out, and with a quick move, grabbed the key. He snuck back to where Duo was waited and gave him the key.   
  
"Okay, I'll take care of the rest."  
  
He ran down the corridor toward the guard. He stopped and pretended to catch his breath.  
  
"The king sent me to get you. There's been an emergency. He needs you."   
  
The guard hurriedly ran out of the dungeon. Wufei motioned for Duo to do his part.  
  
Duo hurriedly unlocked the cell and hurried Heero and Trowa down the corridor. Quatre and Wufei followed close behind.  
  
"We're almost out." Duo said.  
  
He came to an abrupt stop. The king and a group of soldiers stood blocking the way. Duo groaned. 'This can't be happening. Not now.'  
  
"Guards. Escort my son back to his room and lock him in. The rest of you, lock these four boys up. I want them guarded carefully. Make sure they don't escape."  
  
The guards did as the king commanded. Duo struggled to get out of their grip, but they refused to let go.   
  
"Heero," he called.   
  
Heero looked back at Duo and smiled. "I love you," he called.  
  
Tears streamed down Duo's face. "I love you too, Heero. I always will."  
  
He tried once again to escape the guards, but it was no use. He finally gave up his struggling and let them lead him to his room. Once he was inside he collapsed onto his bed and began to sob.  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: well, this concludes yet another chapter. Please review. RurouniGirl  
  
  
  
  



	9. Chapter 9

A/N- okay, I'm almost done with this story. I really hope you guys are enjoying this.   
  
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 9  
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
  
  
Duo rolled over and squinted at the bright sunlight coming through his window. 'Damn, it was morning.' He sighed. Today was going to be a nightmare.  
  
He slowly climbed out of bed. His feet felt heavy. Why did this have to happen?  
  
His father sent servants in to help him bathe and dress. They left saying that someone would be along shortly, to escort him.  
  
He sat down and stared straight ahead, not seeing anything. His mind kept wondering. He kept remembering all the good times he had with Heero. As much as he tried not to remember, the memories came rushing back.   
  
He was pulled out of his reverie when a guard entered the room.  
  
"I'm here to escort you," he said.  
  
Duo stood up and followed lifelessly. A cheer erupted as he entered the room and took his place. He stood staring straight ahead as his father escorted Relena down the aisle.  
  
A single tear trickled down his cheek as the ceremony began.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Wufei paced up and down the cell. He couldn't sit still. There had to be some way to get out of here. He just had to think of it.  
  
Quatre was sitting next to Trowa. Both boys were doing there best to come up with something, but they weren't having any luck either.  
  
Heero sat in the corner, knees pulled up to his chest, staring straight ahead. His mind was full of the memories of the time he spent with Duo. They were the best memories he had, but he didn't want to remember them. Not now. Duo was getting married today, and he couldn't do a thing to stop it. He sighed in frustration. There had to be a way to get out of here. He just couldn't think of it.   
  
He stood up and began to pace with Wufei. Quatre watched the two boys pacing.  
  
"Guys, sit down. You're going to wear a whole in the floor."  
  
The two boys smiled apologetically.   
  
"Sorry," Wufei said. "It's just so frustrating."  
  
Heero sat down and then got back up and began pacing again.   
  
"There has to be someway out of here."  
  
Quatre smiled and stood up.   
  
"I could probably get us out if I had the right equipment. But, I don't."  
  
Wufei, Heero, and Trowa looked at Quatre questioningly.  
  
"What do you mean?" Trowa asked.  
  
Quatre blushed. "Well, I have a little skill in lock picking," he said. "But, I need something to pick the lock with. I don't have anything." He looked at the other boys. "Do you?"  
  
They all shook their heads. "No," was the replied.  
  
His head sunk. "Sorry guys. I thought I could help."  
  
Trowa placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. It's not your fault."  
  
Quatre nodded. "I know, but I still feel bad."  
  
He continued to look at the ground as Trowa tried to assure him that it wasn't his fault. He gave a start as his eyes fell on something.  
  
"That's it."  
  
The other boys looked at him, confused.  
  
"What is it?" Wufei asked.  
  
Quatre bent down and picked up a small stick. It was long and slender. It just might work. He held it up for the other boys to see.  
  
"I can use this." He looked at the others, grinning. "I don't suppose any of you have a knife?"  
  
Heero shook his head. "No."  
  
"No," Trowa replied.  
  
Wufei grinned. "Actually, yes." He reached down and pulled a small dagger out of his boot. "The guards never searched me for weapons."  
  
Quatre smiled. What good luck. He took the dagger and carved the tip of the stick into a sharp point.  
  
"Okay, this should do it. Now all we need is to get rid of the guards."  
  
He looked at the other boys. "Any ideas?"  
  
Wufei and Trowa shook their heads. Heero looked thoughtful. He walked over and stopped when he was standing right behind the two guards. He put his hands through the bars, and with a quick blow to the base of their necks, the two guards were knocked unconscious.  
  
Heero turned back toward the other boys. "That should do it."  
  
Wufei grinned at him. "Nothing like the direct approach."  
  
Trowa couldn't help smiling and Quatre chuckled quietly to himself as he went to work picking the lock. After several failed attempts the lock finally opened. Quatre looked at the other two boys with a smile on his face.   
  
" Okay, we're out."  
  
Trowa smiled at the blonde and Wufei patted him on the back.   
  
"Great job," Wufei commented. "Now let's go. We have a wedding to stop."  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Duo stood listening to the priest. He tried not to hear the words he was saying but wasn't very successful. He felt another tear slip down his cheek. He couldn't do this. He just couldn't. But, at the same time, he had to. He couldn't let his father kill Heero.   
  
"If anyone has any reason why these two should not marry, speak now, or forever hold your peace."  
  
Duo cringed at those words. God, why was this happening? He braced himself for the worst part of the ceremony, but it was interrupted.  
  
"I object."  
  
"I object."  
  
"I object."  
  
The three voiced rang through the room. Duo whirled around. Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei stood at the back of the room smiling.  
  
"And, I object." Heero said, stepping into the room and smiling at Duo.  
  
Tears filled Duo's eyes. He ran down the aisle and flung his arms around Heero, burying his face in Heero's shoulder. Heero smiled, and wrapped his arms around the prince.   
  
Duo managed to get his tears under control and turned around to face his father. He had a determined look on his.  
  
"And, I object," Duo said. "I won't marry Relena."  
  
The king walked toward Duo. "Son, you will marry Relena."  
  
Duo shook his head and grabbed Heero's hand, pulling him to his side.  
  
"No, father. I won't. I already love Heero. Now that you don't have Heero to force me into this marriage, I won't marry Relena."  
  
The king looked like he was about to explode. "GUARDS! ARREST THOSE BOYS!"  
  
Duo stepped in front of the three boys, arms spread wide.  
  
"If you want them, you'll have to go though me first."  
  
The guards stopped in their tracks and looked to the king.   
  
"Don't hurt the prince, but if you must, knock him out."  
  
They continued to advance on the five boys. One of them tried to grab Heero, but Duo sent him flying backwards with a well-aimed punch to his jaw. He tried his best to hold the guards off but one of the guards managed to punch him. He reeled backwards, dazed, and the guards grabbed both of his arms.  
  
They grabbed the other four boys and started to drag them out.  
  
"Guards," the king said. "Throw the peasant in a separate cell. He'll be executed tomorrow."  
  
Duo snapped out of his daze. "NO!" he cried as the guards dragged the struggling boys out of the room. He slumped against the guards and turned a worn out face to his father.  
  
"Why are you doing this father?" he asked, a quiver in his voice. "Why are you taking the only person I've ever loved away from me?"  
  
The king looked down at his son with a disgusted look on his face.  
  
"Because, he's a boy." The king laughed. "I promise, you will marry Relena. Right after the execution of your peasant."  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: okay, this is the conclusion of another chapter. This story is much longer than I thought it was gonna be. I hope you guys are enjoying this. Review. RurouniGirl  
  
  



	10. Chapter 10

A/N- All right. I think I'm almost done with this story. Only a few more chapters to go. Thanks to all of you who review. I hope you guys are enjoying this story so far. Enjoy this part.   
  
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 10  
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
  
  
Duo sighed. It was past midnight, but he hadn't been able to sleep. The events of the previous day kept playing over and over again in his mind.  
  
He sighed again. 'Why was his father doing this?'  
  
He got out of bed and went to sit by the window. The night was cloudy and only a few stars were visible. But the bright twinkling of the few visible stars didn't suit his mood.  
  
He leaned forward resting his head in his arms as he continued to stare out the window. He had to stop his father, but how? The only people who would help him were his friends. But, his only friends, Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei were locked in the dungeon.  
  
He stood and began to pace. 'Since his friends couldn't help him, he would have to do it by himself. He just had to think of something. He wasn't about to give up. He wouldn't let his father win.'  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Heero leaned back against the wall with a sigh. This was not going well. He wondered if Duo was all right. The last time he had seen the prince he had been punched by one of the guards and had stumbled backward looking dazed. He wondered what cell the other three boys were in. Maybe they were close by. He decided that it was worth a shot.  
  
"Quatre, Trowa, Wufei," he called quietly.  
  
He listened carefully and was rewarded with a reply.  
  
"Heero." That was Quatre's voice.  
  
He couldn't help smiling. "Where are you?" he asked.  
  
There was a pause and a different voice answered. It was Wufei.   
  
"I'm not sure, but I think we're close to your cell. Can you see through the bars? I'll wave my hand so you can see where we are."  
  
Heero peered around the bars and saw Wufei's hand. They were in the cell next to him.  
  
"I see you," he called. "You're in the cell next to me."  
  
It was Trowa's voice that spoke next.  
  
"Are you all right? You're not injured, are you?"  
  
Heero hadn't even thought about himself. He had been too worried about Duo. After doing a quick check of his body, he replied.  
  
"I'm okay. What about you? Are any of you hurt?"  
  
"No, we're all fine."  
  
He sighed in relief. "Any ideas on how we can get out of here?"  
  
There was silence, then Quatre's voice. "I could try picking the lock again. But, I don't have anything to pick it with and it's too dark to see if there are any sticks on the floor."  
  
Heero sighed and leaned back against the wall. It looked like all he could do was sit there and wait for morning. And his death.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Duo yawned and stretched. He had finally managed to fall asleep shortly before dawn. Now, the bright sunlight streaming through his window woke him up. He blinked and looked around. Then he remembered what the day was and his face took on a look of depression.  
  
He stood up and walked over to his closet, pulling some clean clothes out. He changed into the clean clothes and then brushed and braided his long hair. He sighed. This was going to be a nightmare. He father was going to keep him locked in his room until after Heero's execution. Then he would send a servant up to bring the prince to the wedding.  
  
Duo shook his head. 'No. He wasn't going to let his father win. He was going to stop him. He wasn't going to let Heero die. He wasn't going to marry Relena. He was going to stop his father.'  
  
He looked around his room, trying to figure a way out of his room. His eyes fell on the bed and then moved to the window. Slowly, smile spread across his face.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Heero woke with a start as the door to his cell burst open. He was pulled up roughly by the two guards that had entered the cell and dragged out.  
  
"Bring the other three," one of the guards said. "The king wants them to watch."   
  
Heero watched as the other three were dragged out of their cell. He met Trowa's eye.  
  
'I'm sorry,' he mouthed.  
  
Trowa smiled and shook his head, telling Heero that it wasn't his fault.  
  
Heero squinted as they stepped into the bright sunlight. A cheer went up from the crowd as Heero was led toward the executioner's block.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Duo had pulled the sheets off of his bed and tied them together. He finished tying the end of his makeshift rope to the bedpost and lowered it out the open window. Slowly, he began to climb down the side of the castle.  
  
He was about half way down, when he heard the cheer. He would have to hurry if he wanted to save Heero in time.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Heero kept his gaze straight ahead. His face was emotionless. He stood there as his death sentence was read off.  
  
"Heero is hereby sentenced to death, charged with the crime of conspiring against the King."  
  
Heero was roughly pushed to his knees. His head was shoved down onto the block and the sack was placed over his head. Now, Heero allowed himself some panic as he braced himself for the blow.  
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: Okay, the conclusion of the chapter. Review. ^_^ RurouniGirl  
  
  
  



	11. Chapter 11

A/N- Okay, so how did you guys like the cliff hangar ending of the last chapter? ^_~ Well, I won't leave you hanging. Here's the next part. Enjoy.   
  
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 11  
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
  
  
The crowd was yelling and screaming as Duo pushed his way through the crowd. He had to get to Heero before it was too late. As he got closer to the stage he could see the executioner pulling the sac over Heero's head.   
  
He sped up his pace. 'He had to get up there and stop it.'  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Heero felt his breathing speed up. He could feel the executioner standing behind him and when he raised the axe. He braced himself for the blow. But it never came.  
  
"NO!!!"  
  
Heero's breathe caught in his throat. It was Duo.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Duo saw the executioner raise the axe just as he reached the stage.  
  
"NO!!!" He ran forward and flung himself on top of Heero. "If you want to kill him, you'll have to kill me too."  
  
"Duo, what is the meaning of this?" the outraged king demanded.  
  
Duo lifted his head and looked his father right in the eye. "I won't let you do this father. I won't let you kill the one person I love."  
  
"Duo, get now immediately!"  
  
Duo stayed where he was. "NO! Father, I won't let you win."  
  
"How dare you defy me, your own father."  
  
Duo snorted. "Father? When were you ever my father? I am your son by blood alone. You never cared about me. You only raised me to do something I never wanted to do to begin with."  
  
The king was taken aback. "What...what are you talking about?"  
  
"I never wanted to be Prince. It was something I was born to. I never asked for it. And you never even considered that. You never let me do anything to make me happy. It was always about my duty as a prince."  
  
Duo glared at his father. "And, now that I've finally gotten a little happiness in my life, you're trying to take it away from me. Well, father. I won't let you."  
  
The king stormed toward his son. "Son, I only wanted you to be happy. That's all."  
  
"If you really want me to be happy, then you'll let Heero live. I love him."   
  
"No, I won't allow it," the king shouted. "He's a boy. You can't love another boy. I won't allow my son to be a freak."  
  
Duo looked at his father, determination written all over his face.   
  
"Then you're going to have to kill me, too."  
  
The king stood speechless for a moment, then he took action.  
  
"GUARDS!" he shouted.  
  
The guards hurried toward him, but were stopped short when Wufei, Trowa, and Quatre blocked their way.  
  
"Oh, no you don't," Wufei said.   
  
"You're not getting past us," Quatre said.  
  
By now, the king was about ready to explode. He stared at his son in disbelief. "Duo, why are doing this."  
  
Duo looked at his father, tears in his eyes. "No, father. Why are you doing this?"  
  
The king was about to reply, but he stopped, not sure what to do. 'Duo was his son, his heir. He couldn't kill him. He needed Duo to take over when he was gone. His only option was to let the peasant boy live. But his son would not be a freak. He would not love a boy. He was going to marry Relena one way or the other.'  
  
He sighed and took a deep breath before making his declaration.  
  
"Release the peasant boy."  
  
The crowd groaned in disappointment as Heero was released. He stood next to Duo facing the king.  
  
"Duo, you are my son. My heir. I need you alive. That's the only reason I released him. But, I swear. You are going to marry Relena and take over as King when I'm gone."  
  
The king turned toward Heero and in a loud voice announced to everyone in the square:  
  
"From this day, you are banished from the kingdom. You will leave immediately. If you are ever seen in this kingdom again, you will be killed."  
  
Duo starred at his father, tears streaming down his face.  
  
"Father, please."  
  
The king turned to the guards who had managed to restrain Wufei, Quatre, and Trowa.   
  
"Throw them back in the dungeon," he commanded. "And this time, make sure they don't escape. Double the guards and make sure they are under constant watch."  
  
The guards dragged the three boys out of the square as the king turned back toward Duo.  
  
"You are confined to the palace. You will be under constant watch. A guard will be with you at all times. Once I get everything settled, you will marry Relena."  
  
Duo glared at his father. He couldn't think of any verbal rebukes so he insulted his father in the only way he could think of. He thumbed his nose at the king.  
  
The king immediately slapped Duo across the face.  
  
"You impudent bastard," he shouted. "How dare you insult me. I'm the king and your father."  
  
Duo remained silent as he continued to glare at his father.  
  
The king glared back at his son. "Guards take him to the palace. Make sure there are guards at all the entrances. And make sure there is a guard with the prince at every moment. I don't want him out of your site."  
  
The guards nodded and grabbed Duo, dragging him back to the palace. The last thing Duo saw as he was forced him into the palace were five guards dragging Heero off to 'escort' him out of the kingdom. He caught Heero's gaze for one moment. They stared at each other, the pain of their separation visible in their eyes, and then Heero disappeared as Duo was dragged into the palace.  
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: so, what do you think of this part? Review. RurouniGirl  
  
  
  
  



	12. Chapter 12

A/N- Well, here's yet another chapter of the story. Enjoy it.  
  
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 12  
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
  
  
Duo hadn't moved from his position on the couch all morning. He remained curled up, staring out the window and willing the guard that stood beside him to disappear. How was he supposed to do anything, when he was under constant surveillance? It was quite frustrating.   
  
He looked away form the window as the door opened and his father entered the room.  
  
"Son, I have good news," he said, smiling.  
  
"Relena is gone," Duo said sarcastically.  
  
The king ignored his remark. "Your cousin, Zechs, is coming for a visit."  
  
Duo's mood brightened a little. Zechs was his second cousin on his mother's side of the family. He was probably the only relative Duo had who actually got along with him. And liked him for that matter. Zechs was a few years older than Duo was, but they had formed a strong bond from the first time they had met.  
  
"When will he arrive?" Duo asked.  
  
"Later this evening," the king replied.  
  
Duo nodded, smiling slightly. Then turned back and continued to stare out the window. With Zechs here, Duo just might be able to figure something out.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Wufei sighed as he paced through the cell. He couldn't sit still.   
  
Trowa watched the young boy pacing back and forth and then turned back to Quatre. The blonde didn't look so good. He looked a lot paler.  
  
"Quatre, are you all right?"  
  
Quatre nodded. "I'm fine Trowa. It's just a small cut."  
  
Trowa shook his head. "I know, but it could get infected. And you don't look too good. You're pale and you feel a little warm."  
  
Quatre smiled. "Trowa, I'm fine. Really."  
  
Trowa sighed and pulled the blonde closer to him. Wufei finally stopped pacing and sat down next to Trowa.  
  
"Hey, Quatre. Trowa's right. You don't look so good."  
  
He was met with silence.  
  
"Quatre?" he tried again.  
  
Still no answer. Trowa shook him gently and when he didn't respond, he shook him harder.  
  
"Quatre? Quatre, wake up. Come on. Wake up."  
  
Wufei placed a hand on Quatre's forehead and immediately withdrew his hand.  
  
"He's burning up," he said to Trowa. "He needs a healer."  
  
Trowa agreed and the two boys set to work trying to convince the guards to bring a healer.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Duo sighed for the thousandth time that day. He had tried a million times to ditch his guard, but to no avail. He couldn't get away no matter what he did.   
  
"Would you just leave me alone!" he shouted in frustration.  
  
The guard continued to follow the prince through the halls as he replied: "I was ordered to watch you. I cannot leave you until the king orders me too."  
  
Duo sighed. 'He couldn't even sneak down to the dungeon to make sure Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei were all right.'  
  
"Damn," he cursed under his breath. A long string of cursed immediately followed as he caught site of Relena walking toward him purposefully. 'Great. Just great. He was having a bad enough day as it was. Now he had Relena to add to it.'  
  
"Duo," she called sweetly, as she approached.   
  
"Relena," he said, gritting his teeth and forcing himself to be civil.  
  
"I'd like to talk with you," she said.  
  
Duo forced back a groan. "About what?" he asked.  
  
"The wedding. And us," she replied, smiling slyly.  
  
Duo's eyes went wide. "Well, I'm kind of busy right now. Could we talk about it later?"  
  
She looked a little disappointed but nodded. "Of course."   
  
He forced a smile. "Thank you. I knew you'd understand," he said. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to."  
  
He walked past her and continued down the hall. He sighed in relief as he rounded the corner and disappeared from Relena's site.  
  
He finally got sick of the guard and decided to go to the dungeons anyway. He had to know if his friends were all right. As he stepped into the dungeon, he heard a commotion and hurried forward.  
  
He saw Trowa and Wufei gesturing frantically and arguing with the guards.  
  
He stepped forward. "What's going on?" he asked.   
  
The two guards immediately fell silent. Duo turned to his friends.   
  
"What is it? What's wrong?"  
  
Trowa looked at Duo, worry framed on his face as he motioned toward Quatre.   
  
"He was injured when we were trying to hold the guards off. The cut is infected. Right now, he has a high fever and is unconscious."  
  
"He needs a healer," Wufei added.   
  
Duo couldn't believe that the guards had been so cruel. He whirled around and ran to get the healer. He returned shortly followed by Marcus, the royal healer.  
  
Marcus knelt down next to Quatre and proceeded to examine him. He looked up at the prince, his face grim.  
  
"How is he?" Duo asked.  
  
Marcus sighed. "He's in pretty bad shape. We have to move him out of this dungeon so I an examine him better."  
  
Duo nodded and ordered the guards to help move Quatre. Once he was in his room, the healer did a more thorough examination of the boy. When he was through he motioned for Duo to follow him out of the room.   
  
"He's in very bad shape. I'm not sure if he's going to make it. I've done all I can for him. Hopefully that's enough."  
  
Duo nodded. "I understand," he replied. "Thanks, Marcus. I appreciate your doing this for me."  
  
Marcus smiled at the young prince. "I'll check up on him every couple of hours to see if he's improved any."  
  
Duo nodded and watched as the old healer walked down the hall. He sighed as he turned to go to his own room. His father would be very angry with him if he were late for the evening meal.   
  
Once he was ready he made his way to the dining hall where he ate his meal in complete silence. He left the dining hall as soon as the meal was over and took sanctuary in a small drawing room. The same room he had been in that morning. He sighed as the door opened. 'Why couldn't the guards just leave him be? All he really wanted was to be alone. That's all. Just a minute alone.'  
  
"Why can't you just leave me alone?" Duo said. "I don't care what my father said. I just want to be left alone."  
  
"Well, that was a wonderful greeting."  
  
Duo whirled around. "Zechs!" he cried.   
  
The older boy smiled brightly. "It's good to see you," he said. "But I must say, you look a lot worse than when I last saw you. What's happened?"  
  
Duo sighed. "I've been through hell," he replied.  
  
Zechs gave him a quizzical look.  
  
"It's a long story," Duo said.  
  
"Well, I have plenty of time."  
  
Duo smiled at his cousin, grateful for his understanding. He motioned for Zechs to join him next to the fire. Once Zechs was situated, Duo proceeded to tell him what had happened over the past few months.  
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: once again, I ask what you think? Review. RurouniGirl  



	13. Chapter 13

A/N- Well, I guess I was wrong when I said I was almost done with this story. It's a lot longer than I expected. I hope you're enjoying it so far. Oh yeah. One warning. Relena.   
  
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 13  
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
  
  
Duo finally managed to get rid of the guards. The king had said that Zechs would be his companion. That was a relief to Duo. He had told his cousin what had happened and Zechs had been very understanding.  
  
The two of them were walking down the hall chatting pleasantly. Duo finally stopped and knocked on the door he had stopped in front of.   
  
"Enter," came the muffled reply.  
  
He pushed the door open and stepped inside.  
  
"Good morning, Marcus," he said. "I came to see how Quatre was doing when you checked in on him."  
  
The healer smiled. "He's doing much better than I expected. His fever has gone down somewhat and the cut is looking much better today."  
  
Duo sighed in relief as he went to see how the blonde was himself. Marcus was right. Quatre wasn't as warm anymore, and he wasn't as pale.  
  
Zechs fell into step beside him as he exited the room and continued to walk down the hall. He groaned as he saw Relena making her way towards them. He was ready to turn and head the opposite direction, but she had already seen him.  
  
"Damn," he muttered.  
  
Zechs looked at him with amusement. "I take it that that's Relena," he whispered.  
  
Duo nodded and forced himself to smile as Relena once again approached him with a sweet smile planted on her face.  
  
"Duo, I'd like to talk to you."  
  
Duo nodded. "That's right. I'm sorry about yesterday, but I was pretty busy."  
  
Relena nodded. "I understand," she said. "Being a prince is hard work."  
  
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?"  
  
She smiled. "Can we go somewhere else?" she asked.  
  
Duo nodded and led her to one of the sitting rooms. Once he had closed the door he turned back to Relena.  
  
"So, what did you want to talk about?"  
  
She smiled. "Us. We really should get to know each other better."  
  
Duo grimaced at her words. "What do you mean? How would we get to know each other better?"  
  
She smiled and moved closer to him. He tried to back away, but ran into the wall. 'Damn.'  
  
"Look, Relena. I don't mean to be rude, but I really don't have time..."  
  
She cut him off with a kiss. He immediately pulled away.  
  
"Relena. I don't know how to get it across to you, but I don't want to get to know you. As I said before, I don't want to marry you. I'm already in love."  
  
She shook her head sadly. "No, you're not in love. That boy only tricked you. He just wanted your position and money."  
  
Duo's face filled with rage. "NO!" He pushed Relena away from him. "I love Heero. And he loves me. But, I don't see how someone like you could understand."  
  
He stalked out of the room and started to run. He finally stopped and collapsed against the wall, sobbing. A minute later, Zechs slid down next to him. He took one look at the sobbing boy and put an arm around his shoulder. Duo looked up at his cousin and wiped his tears with the back of his hand.  
  
"Thanks," he said.  
  
Zechs nodded. "So, what happened?"  
  
Duo sighed. "She wanted to 'get to know me better.' I told her that I didn't want to. That I was already in love. She accused Heero of being a fraud. She said he was only after my position and money. I know that Heero loves me for who I am, but it hurts to here someone accuse him like that."  
  
Zechs smiled and stood up, offering his hand to help Duo up. "That was cruel," he said. "But, as long as you love Heero and he loves you, nothing will get in the way."  
  
Duo smiled. "Yeah, I know."  
  
Zechs smiled. "Good. I just have one more thing to say."  
  
Duo looked at him. "What is it?"  
  
Zechs grinned. "That Relena is a major bitch," he said with a laugh.  
  
Duo laughed with him. "Yeah, she really is."  
  
The boys continued to laugh as they walked down the hall toward the kitchens.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Duo and Zechs finished their meal and headed out. Zechs had managed to convince the king to let him take Duo out of the palace for some fresh air and Duo was anxious to get away.  
  
As soon as he stepped into the sunlight he began to twirl around enjoying the warmth of the sun as its rays hit his skin. He laughed and turned to Zechs, smiling brightly. Zechs smiled back at him and watch affectionately as Duo enjoyed himself.  
  
"So, since you have the whole day outside, where do you want to go and what do you want to do?"  
  
Duo smiled. "I want to show you my favorite spot," he said. "The place where I first met Heero."  
  
Zechs smiled to himself as he followed Duo to the stables. Soon they were galloping out the castle gates and on their way.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Duo sighed as he flopped down on the soft grass of the field and breathed in the smell of the wild flowers. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to come here. It brought back too many memories. He sighed again as he stood up and walked toward the brook. 'He missed Heero. Missed him more than anything. Wished he were here right now.'  
  
He stripped off his shirt and boots and waded into the water, letting the water wash his sorrows away.  
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: you guys must be really sick of reading these notes by now. As usually, what did you think? Review. RurouniGirl  
  
  



	14. Chapter 14

A/N- Here's the next chapter. As usual, enjoy.   
  
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 14   
  
By: RurouniGirl   
  
  
  
Duo yawned as he rolled out of bed and stretched. There was a soft knock on the door and he hurried to open it. He smiled at Zechs as he ushered him in.   
  
"Good morning, Zechs. Come on in."   
  
His cousin smiled at him brightly. "Hey. You're cheerful today."   
  
Duo grinned. "Yep. And it's all thanks to you."   
  
Zechs looked a little confused. "Me?"   
  
Duo nodded. "Yep. You got me out of the palace. It felt good to get out and...and remember."   
  
Zechs smiled. "Well, you're welcome."   
  
Duo smiled. "Just let me get dressed and we can go get some breakfast."   
  
Zechs nodded and sat on the bed as he waited for Duo to finish dressing. Once Duo was finished they headed to the kitchen where they ate a hurried breakfast and then hurried to check on Quatre.   
  
Duo was greeted with a weak smile and a pair of big, blue eyes as he walked through the door.   
  
"Quatre," he exclaimed. "Your awake."   
  
"Hey, Duo."   
  
The prince beamed. "God, Quatre. Don't ever scare me like that again," he said. "And Trowa's a nervous wreck."   
  
Quatre laughed softly. "Sorry," he said, then his face turned serious. "How are you doing?"   
  
Duo shrugged. "I'm okay," he replied, his voice quavering just a little.   
  
Quatre shook his head. "Somehow, I don't believe that, but I won't push it." He smiled slightly. "How is Trowa? He wasn't hurt, was he?"   
  
Duo shook his head. "No, he's fine. Just worried about you. I don't think he's slept at all."   
  
Quatre shook his head, smiling to himself. "Tell him, I said to sleep. And that's an order."   
  
Duo grinned. "Sure buddy." He smiled and left Quatre to sleep.   
  
Zechs smiled. "He's doing okay?"   
  
Duo nodded. "Thankfully, yes. He sure had all of us worried." He looked at Zechs pleadingly. "You wouldn't mind if we made a small detour, would you?"   
  
Zechs smiled. "Of course not. I understand. You want to let your friends know that he's all right."   
  
Duo looked relieved. "Thanks, Zechs."   
  
He nodded and the two boys headed for the dungeon.   
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
  
Trowa sighed in relief and allowed himself to relax. 'Quatre was all right.' He was suddenly aware of how tired he was. Wufei noticed and smiled to himself.   
  
"Trowa, you should get some sleep. You're exhausted. If you keep going like this you'll make yourself sick."   
  
Trowa nodded. "I know."   
  
He leaned back against the wall and sighed. His eyes felt so heavy. He closed his eyes for a minute, just to rest them, but he immediately fell asleep. Wufei smiled and looked over at Duo.   
  
"It's about time he actually rested. He was so worried about Quatre."   
  
Duo nodded. "I know. I was worried about him just as much as I was worried about Quatre."   
  
The sound of the guard returning signaled the end of Duo's visit. He smiled at Wufei before turning and hurrying out of the dungeon.   
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
  
Zechs looked around, checking the hallways, before opening the door and quickly slipping through it.   
  
"Duo?" he called quietly. A rustling sound came from the couch and then a head popped up. Duo smiled halfheartedly. His eyes were red and puffy, as though he had been crying.   
  
"Duo, are you all right?"   
  
Duo sniffed and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine," he replied in a quavering voice. His eyes were brimming with tears that he was trying his best to hold back.   
  
Zechs took one look at his cousin and was right next to him in an instant, pulling him into a tight embrace. Duo stiffened for a moment and then relaxed. The tears he had been fighting began to fall and he buried his face in Zechs' shoulder.   
  
He finally stopped crying and just sat there, his body shaking. He looked up at Zechs and tried to smile.   
  
"Thanks. I needed that."   
  
Zechs nodded. "You okay?"   
  
Duo shrugged. "As good as I can be." He smiled slightly and his eyes began to water again. "I miss him," he said quietly.   
  
Zechs gave his a comforting squeeze. "I know. It must be hard. But, we'll figure something out. You'll see him again. I promise."   
  
  
~*~*~ two weeks later ~*~*~   
  
  
Duo sighed. Everything was just getting to be too much for him. He had tried to avoid Relena as much as possible, but she never let him alone. She was always there. Quatre had gotten better and had been thrown back into the dungeon. He missed Heero and his father hadn't let him out of the palace in the last few weeks.   
  
He needed to do something. His father had finally gotten everything settled and was busy trying to get the wedding arranged for the third time. He sighed again. It was all too much. He was so depressed and just sick of living.   
  
He stood up and walked over to his desk, pulling a knife out of the drawer. He held it up, staring at it. It looked so inviting. A way to escape all his misery. He smiled sadly to himself.   
  
"I love you Heero," he said quietly as he slit his wrists with the knife. He smiled as he sank down to the ground and waited for his death.   
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: so, what do you think? Don't you just love cliffhanger endings? Mwahahhahahahaha. *evil grin* Please review. RurouniGirl


	15. Chapter 15

A/N- I won't leave you hanging. You can read to find out what happens to Duo. Enjoy. Oh, I decided to make this a 5x12 pairing. Hope you like it.   
  
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 15  
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
  
  
Duo groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. He looked around in confusion before his memory rushed back to him. The memories of what he had done flashed through his mind. He lifted his hands up and sure enough, his wrists were bandaged and throbbing dully.   
  
There was a rustling sound and Duo looked over to see Zechs sleeping in a chair. He shifted and woke up. He looked over at Duo and a look of relief crossed his face.  
  
"You're awake," he said.  
  
Duo nodded and tried to smile.  
  
Zechs smiled and a tear slid down his cheek. "Don't you ever do that to me again. I was scared to death when I walked in and found you lying on the ground with blood pouring from your wrist."  
  
Duo looked at his worried cousin and a tear slip from his eye.   
  
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I just couldn't take it any more. It was the only way I could think of to end my misery."  
  
Zechs put his arm around Duo's shoulder. "Promise me you won't try something like that again. I was so scared that I had found you too late. Your father is so upset because you're his only heir. Relena is upset because you were supposed to marry her yesterday."  
  
Duo looked surprised. "How long have I been unconscious?"  
  
"Four days. Marcus was afraid you weren't going to wake up at all." He laughed a little. "At least you missed the wedding."  
  
Duo actually grinned as that realization hit him. "At least one good thing came of all this."  
  
Zechs nodded his agreement and tried a small laugh. "Quatre and the others are all worried about you."  
  
Duo smiled. At least his friends really cared about him. Not just because he was the heir or bridegroom. He sat up and swung his leg over the side of the bed. Zechs rushed forward.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?"  
  
Duo rolled his eyes. "Trying to stand up. What does it look like?"  
  
Zechs pushed him back onto the bed. "No you don't. Marcus said for you to stay in bed. You're still too weak from the loss of blood. So, stay," he ordered.  
  
Duo sighed and got back into the bed. "Fine, but you have to promise to come and visit me every day. Otherwise I might die of boredom."  
  
Zechs chuckled quietly. "I promise. Now get some rest."  
  
"Yes, mother," Duo said sarcastically.  
  
Zechs shook his head. "Sleep," he said as he left the room.  
  
Duo sighed. It was going to be a long day. He was already bored.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Wufei looked up as he heard someone approaching the cell. It wasn't Duo. He wondered who it was. He strained his ears. He knew that step. It was that young man who had been with Duo the other day. The one with the long blonde hair.  
  
Sure enough, Zechs rounded the corner and approached the cell. He smiled shyly. "Wufei, right?"  
  
Wufei nodded. "Yes."  
  
Zechs smiled. "I'm Zechs, Duo's cousin. I just wanted to let you know that he's okay. He's awake now and already on the mend."  
  
The three boys in the cell all let out audible sighs of relief. Wufei smiled, as he looked over at Zechs, relief etched on his face.  
  
"Thanks for telling us. We were all so worried about him." He grinned at the blonde. "Is there something else you needed?" he asked.  
  
Zechs was silent for a moment. "Actually, yes. I need your help," he said. "Duo hasn't been doing too good in the past few months. He needs to see Heero, to be with him again. Not having Heero around is killing him. And I can't stand to see him like this."  
  
He looked over at Wufei and saw the young soldier watching him intently. He felt his cheeks grow hot, but he forced himself to ignore it.  
  
Wufei nodded. "I agree with that. There has to be some way that we can get Heero back here. Or get Duo to him."  
  
"It's impossible to get Duo out of the palace," Trowa cut in. "The king has him under constant surveillance, even when he's with Zechs."  
  
Quatre agreed. "Yes, you would never get passed the guards. And if you brought Heero back into the kingdom, the king would kill him."  
  
Zechs sighed and slumped against the wall. "I have to do something. I can't just stand back and watch my cousin suffer like this."  
  
Wufei slowly reached through the bars and placed a hand on Zechs' shoulder. "Don't worry," he said. "We'll think of something. Where there's a will, there's a way. Just remember that we're all willing to help you."  
  
Zechs smiled. "Thanks, Wufei. That really means a lot."  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Zechs smiled to himself as he thought of the young soldier, Wufei. He found himself drawn to him and he didn't know why. There was just something about the boy. He was so sincere and concerned and caring. No one had ever cared what happened to Zechs. Now someone actually cared. He sighed. Maybe he was just being silly, but there was definitely something between him and Wufei. He could feel it.   
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: sorry this chapter is so short, I just wanted to let you know what happened to Duo and introduce the new pairing. I hope you like it so far and I promise the next chapter will be a little longer. Please review. RurouniGirl 


	16. Chapter 16

A/N- Duo's not in this chapter. Mostly Zechs, Wufei, Trowa, Quatre, and Heero. Enjoy.  
  
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 16  
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
Zechs sighed as he slowly walked down the hall. He had checked on Duo earlier and the young prince was doing much better.  
  
Now all Zechs had to do was find a way to get Heero and Duo together again, even if it was only for an hour. Just an hour would do the prince a world of good.   
  
He sighed once again as he headed toward the dungeon. Maybe the others had thought of something. Wufei looked up as Zechs approached the cell. Zechs smiled tiredly.  
  
"You look awful," Wufei said.  
  
Zechs chuckled quietly. "Thanks," he replied.  
  
The three boys in the cell grinned.  
  
"Did you sleep at all?" Quatre asked.  
  
Zechs shook his head. "No, Not really."  
  
Wufei shook his head. "Why?"  
  
Zechs shrugged. "I don't know. Worried I guess."  
  
Wufei frowned slightly but quickly changed it to a smile.  
  
"Well, so far we haven't really come up with anything," Trowa said.  
  
Zechs' spirits sank. He leaned against the wall and stood in silence for a few minutes. He jumped as a hand reached through the bars and touched gently rested on his arm. He looked up into Wufei's concerned eyes.  
  
"Don't worry," Wufei said. "We'll think of something. Everything will be okay."  
  
Zechs tied to smile, but failed miserably. He slid to the ground and buried his face in his hands. He had to think of something. He just had to. He couldn't stand seeing his cousin suffer so much. It had been hard enough when Duo had just been depressed. Now he had tried to kill himself all because his father wouldn't let him be with the person he loved.  
  
Wufei's heart nearly broke as he watched the distraught young man slumped against the wall. He knelt down and reached his arm back through the bars and put it around Zech's shoulder as best as he could. He didn't want this young man to be upset. It hurt to see him this way. Wufei had felt drawn to him from the first time he had seen him, and now he felt a very keen pain in his heart at the sight of Zechs being so upset.  
  
Zechs looked up at Wufei gratefully. The other boy smiled.   
  
"We'll figure something out," he said. "I promise."  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
Quatre grinned at Wufei as Zechs left the dungeon and Trowa couldn't stop a smile from creeping over his face.  
  
"What?" Wufei asked.  
  
Quatre's grin got even wider. "You like him, don't you?"  
  
A blush crept over Wufei's face. "No," he said, trying to deny it, but knowing full well that it was true.  
  
Trowa laughed quietly. "No use denying it, Wufei. We know you better than that."  
  
Wufei shrugged. "Yeah," he said. "I guess your right. I can't deny what's true, can I?"  
  
Quatre laughed. "Nope."  
  
Wufei smiled at Quatre and then started to laugh.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Zechs smiled to himself as he entered the quiet solitude of his room. Hopefully he would be able to get a little sleep and come up with a plan.   
  
As he lay in his bed trying to figure something out, his mind drifted off to Wufei. The young boy had been so caring and concerned. Zechs felt his cheeks grow hot at the memory of the boy. He was the handsomest boy Zechs had ever seen. No, he wasn't handsome. He was absolutely beautiful. The most gorgeous boy Zechs had ever seen.  
  
He blushed even more as realization hit him. He was in love with Wufei.  
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: Okay, sorry it was kind of short. Hope you enjoyed it. Please review. RurouniGirl 


	17. Chapter 17

A/N- Thanks to Joan_of_Arc for giving me this idea. Heero will be in part of this chapter so you know what's going on in his head. Thanks again to Joan_of_Arc. Oh, and Hilde and Noin are in this chapter. Enjoy.   
  
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 17  
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
  
  
Duo sighed for the thousandth time that day. He was bored out of his mind. Zechs had come by to see him that morning and now Duo had nothing to do.  
  
He rolled over onto his side and stared out the window. Soon he found his mind turning to thoughts of Heero. He wondered where his koi was at that very moment.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
Heero sighed as he leaned back against the wall of the stable. He had just finished cleaning out the stalls.   
  
When Duo's father had thrown him out of the kingdom, he had wandered around for months before coming to the palace of King Treize's kingdom. He had gotten a job as the stable boy and all around errand boy. That meant he got to clean the stables and do any other job that was lying around waiting to be done.  
  
He turned as a young girl ran up to him, calling his name.  
  
"Heero!" she called. "Noin needs you."  
  
He nodded. "Thanks, Hilde. Tell her I'll be right there."  
  
Hilde nodded and ran off to deliver the message to Noin. Noin was the palace housekeeper. She was in charge of all the servants and assigning chores to each one. She was also the one who had taken Heero in and taken care of him.   
  
When he had first arrived, he had been a complete wreck. He hadn't eaten anything in weeks and had lost a lot of weight. He had spent months wondering around in a daze. He had grown depressed to the point where he didn't even want to get up in the morning.  
  
Hilde and Noin were the ones that had pulled him out of his depression. He still had his bad days, but nowhere near as bad as when he had first been thrown out of kingdom, and away from the one he loved.  
  
He had told Hilde and Noin what had happened and they had been very sympathetic and understanding. They tried their best to cheer him up and keep him busy so he wouldn't get depressed. And it had worked. For the most part.  
  
It was the nights that got him. No one was around to keep him from feeling depressed. He would lie in bed thinking about Duo. He would remember all the times they had spent together. And he usually ended up crying himself to sleep.  
  
He snapped out of his reverie and hurried to the kitchens to find Noin. She was directing the cooks on how to prepare the night meal. She turned toward him and smiled.  
  
"Hello, Heero," she said. "If you don't mind, I have a job that I need you to do. To tell the truth, you're the only one I can trust with this."  
  
Heero smiled. "What can I do for you?"  
  
She smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Heero. If you could just take this basket of food to the orphanage, I would really appreciate it. I usually make a point of taking a basketful of food every week, but this week I have to much to do and have no time."  
  
Heero took the basket. "Don't worry about it. I'll deliver it for you," he said.  
  
He drew in a deep breath as he exited the kitchens and stepped out into the fresh air. He hurried to get his burden to the orphanage. Once he had delivered the basket, and after much thanks from the headmistress, he slowly made his way back to the palace.   
  
It felt good to get outside and breath the fresh air deeply. He stopped as he heard the sound of a trickling brook. He gulped and held back the tears that threatened to fall. He slowly approached the brook. The water swirled around small rocks and gently lapped up against the bank.   
  
Heero stripped off his clothes and waded into the cool water, letting it swirl around him. It reminded him of the day he had met Duo. He had been swimming in the brook when Duo had come up and stood on the bank. He had looked incredibly lonely so Heero had invited him to come into the water with him. It had been the best day of his life.  
  
Tears began to trickle down Heero's cheeks at the memory. It was the best memory he had, but it also served to remind him that he would probably never see Duo again.  
  
He stood there in the cool waters of the brook and sobbed.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
Duo turned his tear stained face away from the window as he heard the door open. He smiled half-heartedly at Zechs.  
  
"Hi," he said hoarsely. "Where have you been?"  
  
Zechs came over and sat on the bed. "Duo, are you all right?"  
  
Duo nodded. "Oh yeah. I'm fine," he replied. "Just...not one of my good day, you know?"  
  
Zechs nodded and pulled his cousin into a tight embrace. Duo wrapped his arms around Zechs and began to sob.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
Zechs quietly closed the door to Duo's room, careful not to wake the sleeping boy up. The prince had cried himself to sleep.   
  
'At least he's getting some sleep,' Zechs thought. Duo hadn't gotten much sleep in the past few weeks. At least now he was getting a little rest.  
  
Zechs spent the next few hours wandering aimlessly about the palace. He was still at a loss. He hadn't been able to think of a single plan.  
  
He sighed and decided to go see how Wufei and Quatre and Trowa were doing. The guards were being very rough with them. The last time he had been down to the dungeon Trowa had a black eye, Quatre had a nasty looking bruise on his cheek, and Wufei had one or two broken ribs.   
  
He had had a small talk with the king about the guard's treatment of the boys and the king had agreed to have a talk with them about how roughly they treated the prisoners.   
  
The three boys looked up as he once again approached the cell. It was beginning to be a habit for him to visit the dungeon at least twice a day. Of course, Wufei probably had something to do with that.  
  
He smiled as he saw the young soldier and Wufei smiled back. Both boys cheeks turned a crimson red but neither seemed to notice.   
  
"How are the ribs?" Zechs asked.  
  
Wufei shrugged. "Better," he replied. "How is Duo?"  
  
Zechs shook his head. "Not doing to well. He cried himself to sleep."   
  
Quatre sighed. "We have to do something."  
  
Trowa nodded his agreement and the four young men set to work trying to come up with something. They were startled out of their thought as Wufei drew in a sharp breath. They all looked over at him.  
  
Wufei looked at them and a grin spread across his face. "I have an idea," he said.  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: Okay, so what did you think? Did you like it when I added Heero's point of view to the story? Please review and let me know. RurouniGirl 


	18. Chapter 18

A/N- okay, here's the next chapter. Now you can find out what the plan is. ^_^ Enjoy.  
  
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 18  
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
  
  
Zechs and the other boys looked over at Wufei.   
  
"What? What's your plan?"  
  
Wufei looked over at Zechs and smiled. "What if the king made YOU the heir? Once the king is dead, you could take over. Duo never wanted to be king anyway. And then Duo could finally be with Heero again."  
  
Zechs absorbed everything Wufei was saying and a slow smile spread across his face.  
  
"You're a genius, Wufei."  
  
The other boy smiled and blushed.  
  
Quatre and Trowa looked at each and then at Zechs.  
  
"It's a good plan," Trowa said.  
  
"Yes," Quatre agreed. "I think it can work."  
  
Zechs nodded. "So do I. But I still have to convince my uncle of that." He smiled reluctantly. "I should go and see what I can do."  
  
The other boys nodded. "Good luck," Quatre said.  
  
Zechs smiled. "Thanks. Have a good night," he said, giving Wufei's hand a squeeze. He smiled one last time then turned and hurried out of the dungeon and to the throne room.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
The king looked at Zechs thoughtfully. Zechs had proposed the idea to the king, and now the king seemed to be considering.  
  
"Well," he said after a few long moments of silence. "You would make an excellent heir. You're well taught in diplomacy. And you don't take to boys in the way my shameful son does."  
  
Zechs tried to hide a smile. 'If only the king knew about Wufei. But he didn't and Zechs was going to keep it that way. At least until the king was dead.'  
  
He stood silently, nodding occasionally at the king's remarks. The king finally made his final decision.  
  
"I like your proposition," he said. "I will start the proper procedures and have you my legal heir by the end of the week."  
  
Zechs smiled and nodded. "Thank you, uncle," he said. "I promise, you won't regret your decision."  
  
The king nodded and Zechs hurried from the throne room. Once outside he let out a sigh of relief and laughed joyfully. It had worked. Wufei's plan had worked.   
  
He hurried through the halls as fast as he could. He had to tell the others. And Duo.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
Heero slowly trudged toward the castle. Noin looked up as he entered the kitchen caverns. She shook her head. He had been crying again. His eyes were red and swollen.   
  
She motioned for Hilde to look over. Hilde took one look at the distraught boy and hurried over to his side.  
  
"Heero, are you all right?" she asked with concern.  
  
He nodded. "Yeah," he replied. "I'll be fine. I just need a little rest."  
  
He hurried out of the room and toward his quarters. Once he was there, he collapsed onto the bed and began to sob again. He wouldn't admit it to anyone else, but being away from Duo was killing him.  
  
He rolled over and stared at the wall. He wondered how Duo was doing. He wondered what he was doing right then.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
Duo hastily wiped his tears away. He didn't want anyone to see him like this. Even Zechs.   
  
He laid back against the pillows just as the door burst open and a smiling Zechs entered the room.  
  
Zechs' smile turned to a frown as he looked at his younger cousin. 'He's been crying again,' Zechs thought.   
  
Despite his tear stained face, Duo grinned cheerfully. "What are you so happy about?" he asked.  
  
Zechs smiled. "I have something very important to tell you," he said. "Your father is making me his legal heir."  
  
Duo looked a little confused. "He's making you his legal heir? Why?"  
  
"Because I asked him to," Zechs said.  
  
Duo looked even more confused. "But, why would you want to be his heir?"  
  
Zechs shook his head. "Don't you get it?" he asked. "If I'm his heir, then I'll become king once he's dead."  
  
Duo nodded. "Yeah, I get that. But why?"  
  
Zechs sighed. "Once the king is dead, I'll be king. No one will be around to stop you and Heero from being together."  
  
Duo still looked confused, and then a look of understanding slowly dawned on his face. 'When Zechs became the king, he and Heero could finally be together again.'  
  
Duo grinned up at Zechs as tears of joy poured down his cheeks. 'He would finally be able to be with Heero again.'  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: sorry it was kinda short, but what did you think? Was it good? Bad? Was the plan stupid? Please review and let me know. 


	19. Chapter 19

A/N- Wow, this story is really a lot longer than I thought it was gonna be. I hope you are all enjoying this. Anyway, sorry for the long delay, but I had a severe case of writer's block for this story so I decided to take a break from it and work on something else for a while. It worked. Here's the next part. Hope you enjoy.  
  
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 19  
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
  
  
It was a week later on the night of Zechs' "coronation," so to speak, as prince and heir to the throne. Duo skipped down the hall and burst into Zechs' room, grinning cheerfully.  
  
"Tonight's the big night," he said.  
  
Zechs turned toward Duo and smiled. "How do I look?" he asked, standing up and turning toward the prince.  
  
Zechs was wearing flowing white robes and his golden hair hung like a veil around him.  
  
"I think Wufei would find you very attractive," Duo replied, a mischievous glint in his eyes.  
  
Zechs laughed. "You delight in teasing me, don't you?"  
  
Duo shrugged. "Just think of me as the annoying little brother that you never had."  
  
Zechs smiled and put an arm around Duo's shoulder. "I don't have to," he replied. "I've always thought of you as my brother."  
  
Duo was taken aback. "You…you have?" he asked.  
  
Zechs nodded. "Yes," he said. "I have."  
  
Duo smiled before flinging himself into Zechs, hugging him tightly. Tears began to stream down his face until his whole body was wracked by sobs. Zechs pulled Duo closer and spoke comfortingly. Duo's sobs finally subsided and he pulled away form his cousin.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said, his voice hoarse from crying. "You're one of the only people who's been nice to me since all of this started. I just hope this works. I miss him," he said as another tear slipped down his cheek. "I miss him so much. And I just wish that none of this had ever happened."  
  
"Don't worry," Zechs said. "Everything will be fine. You'll see. It will all work out."  
  
"I know," Duo said. "I just miss Heero so much."  
  
Zechs nodded. "I know," he replied. "But you will see him again, and soon if I have my way. Don't worry. It will all work out."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Everyone burst into applause as the trumpets sounded and the King and Zechs entered the throne room. Duo was seated in the front of the room as far away from Relena as he could get. Relena wasn't too happy about this, but after Duo's attempt to kill himself, the King had wisely decided not to force the marriage.  
  
After the ceremony a huge feast was held to celebrate. Duo tried his best to enjoy himself, but he just couldn't. All he could think about was Heero. He found himself nearing tears and fled from the dining hall. Once in the safety of the abandoned halls, he broke down and wept.  
  
He knew he should be happy, but he just couldn't. Not when Heero wasn't with him. Not when he was all alone without the one person he truly loved. He didn't care what his father said about Heero being a peasant, or what Relena said about him being a fraud and only after money and power. He knew that Heero truly loved him and he knew that he loved Heero. He loved him more than anything. He loved him enough that he would die for Heero if it meant Heero would live.  
  
He stood up and headed toward the dungeon, tears still streaming down his face. He needed to be with friends. Friends who understood him and knew what he was going through.  
  
Quatre looked up as the dungeon door opened and Duo came trudging in, tears running down his cheeks.  
  
"Duo, are you all right?" Quatre asked, worried.  
  
Duo didn't answer. He just walked towards the cell and clung to Quatre as best as he could through the bars and sobbed.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Heero wiped the sweat off his forehead as he finished cleaning the last of the stalls. He sighed and headed toward the kitchens. Hilde looked up as he came here.  
  
"Heero, you look exhausted. Why don't you eat something and then go to bed?"  
  
Heero shook his head. "I'm not hungry," he said. "I'm gonna wash off and then lay down for a while. Tell Noin that if she needs me I'll be in my room."  
  
Hilde nodded and Heero headed back outside to the creek. He stripped off his clothes and waded into the cool water. It felt good after a hard days work in the stables. He dove under and resurfaced feeling fully refreshed. He sighed quietly as he tried off and headed back to the castle.  
  
Once in his room, he lay down and tried to get some sleep. He hadn't been sleeping the past few weeks. Every time he was almost asleep Duo's face would appear in his mind, or his voice would echo in his ears. He couldn't get Duo out of his mind. Being away from the young prince was killing Heero. He didn't know how he was, what he was doing. It was almost too much.  
  
He rolled over and got out of bed. He spent a good part of the night just staring out the window. When the sun slowly began to rise he decided to get to work. He was awake anyway; he might as well be doing something useful.  
  
He yawned and stretched as he walked into the courtyard. Nobody else was awake yet so he decided to take a walk. During the day he was usually too busy for any luxury time. As he walked through the fields and forest he couldn't keep his mind from wandering once again back to Duo. His face, his smile, his hair, his scent. Everything he looked at reminded him of Duo.  
  
The field reminded him of the first time he had met Duo and they had lain in the tall grass drying in the sun. Duo had told Heero his secret about not wanting to be prince. The small brook that ran through the forest reminded Heero of the numerous times he had spent bathing with Duo. The smell of the dew-covered flowers that wafted through the air reminded him of the way Duo's hair smelled. It always smelled like roses and rainwater.  
  
It was finally too much for Heero and he collapsed against a tree and sobbed.  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: Okay, what did you think? Good? Bad? Too teary? Please review and let me know. RurouniGirl 


	20. Chapter 20

A/N- Well, I started to write and just kept going. I couldn't stop. Anyway, hope you like it, and here's the next chapter. Enjoy.  
  
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 20  
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
  
  
Duo slowly opened his eyes and looked around. He was in the dungeon slumped against the bars of a cell. He looked behind him and saw Quatre lying on the ground on the other side. He smiled and slowly stood up. He began to walk away as quietly as he could, but Wufei was already awake.  
  
"Duo, are you okay now?"  
  
Duo nodded. "Yeah, I just needed a good cry to get it all out. I'll be fine now."  
  
"You sure?" Wufei asked, not looking completely convinced.  
  
Duo nodded again. "Yeah," he said. "I should get going. I want to find out how last night went for Zechs."  
  
Duo left the dungeon and headed toward Zechs' room. The door was already open as he approached the room. He stopped for a moment before entering to make sure he wouldn't be interrupting and then walked in.  
  
Zechs was sitting on his bed stretching and yawning. He smiled when Duo came in.  
  
"Hey," he said. "I missed you last night after the feast. Where did you go?"  
  
Duo smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I just needed some time to myself to get things out, you know?"  
  
Zechs nodded as he stood up and hugged his cousin. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me," he said. "I'm sorry. I should have been there for you."  
  
Duo shook his head and pulled away. "No," he said. "It wasn't your fault. You've been there for me through this whole thing. You've done so much for me already. Just being here and supporting me has done a lot."  
  
Zechs still didn't look convinced.   
  
"Really," Duo said. "Trust me. You've done more than enough already. Don't worry about last night. You took my place as the heir to the throne. And you did it for me, so that I could be together with Heero someday. That is more than enough."  
  
Zechs smiled. "You know, lately I've been really worried about you. But just now, when you gave that little speech, I know that you're going to be okay. You're strong, Duo. And nothing is going to pull you down."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Zechs sat through the council meeting paying careful attention to everything that was said. Once the meeting was over he hurried out of the room and down to the dungeon. He hadn't been to see Wufei in a couple of days and it was killing him. Now he knew how Duo felt. Except that Duo had been apart from Heero much longer.  
  
He smiled slightly as he entered the dungeon. Wufei looked up and, the moment he saw Zechs, a smile spread across his face. Zechs smiled even more and took Wufei's hand through the bars.  
  
"Hey," he said.  
  
"Hey," Wufei said, blushing slightly.  
  
Zechs grinned. "Has anyone ever told you that you look absolutely adorable when you're blushing?" he asked with a chuckle.  
  
Wufei grinned and blushed even more. "How did it go?" he asked.  
  
"Good," Zechs replied. "I'm now the legal heir to the throne. But I have to keep "us" a secret from my uncle. If he knew about this he would have never agreed to it in the first place."  
  
Wufei nodded his understanding. "Then what are you doing down here," he said indignantly. "If you get caught then the results could be disastrous."  
  
Zechs shook his head. "I know, but I had to see you. Just being away from you for a few days was killing me." He looked down and a sad looked passed over his face. "Now I know what Duo goes through every day he's away from Heero."  
  
Wufei put his hand through the bars and gave Zechs' shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Don't worry. It will all turn out all right."  
  
"I know. I just hope Duo keeps hoping. If he doesn't, I'm scared of what might happen to him."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Duo slowly crawled into his bed and pulled the covers up. It was already past midnight, but he didn't feel tired. He rolled over, and tried to sleep, but couldn't. He finally got out of bed and left his room.  
  
He was wandering aimlessly around the halls and soon found himself near the King's chamber. He was about to turn and leave when a strange sound caught his ear. He listened intently and was just about to turn and leave when he heard it again. It sounded like strangled cries. And they were coming from the king's room.  
  
Duo ran down the hall and flung open the door. A dark figure stood over the bed holding a bloodied dagger. They looked up as Duo burst through the doors and then ran past him, pushing Duo out of the way and continuing to run down the halls. Duo cried out an alarm and a moment later the guards appeared. They caught the culprit and once they subdued him, led him to the dungeon. Another soldier went to fetch Marcus.  
  
Marcus arrived a few moments later and hurried into the king's chamber. While Duo was waiting, Zechs arrived.  
  
"I heard what happened," he said. "I can't believe this would happen. Who would do such a thing?"  
  
Duo was just about to comment when Marcus came out into the hall.  
  
"Well," Duo said. "How is he?"  
  
Marcus slowly shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said. "But it was too late. There was nothing I could do. The king is dead."  
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: Okay, opinions please. I'd love to hear from you. RurouniGirl 


	21. Chapter 21

A/N- All right. Here's the next part, and I'm thinking that Duo and Heero are finally gonna get back together either in this chapter or the next one. Enjoy.  
  
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 21  
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
  
  
Duo stood there in shock before completely comprehending the situation. Now his princely blood showed through. He turned to Zechs.  
  
"We have to arrange a proper burial and hold a meeting about this. And then we'll have to interrogate the assassin to find out who sent them."  
  
Zechs nodded in agreement. "Marcus, can you handle the burial arrangements?"  
  
The healer nodded. "Yes, your highness," he said, and turned back to the king's chamber.  
  
"Come on Duo. Let's gather all the council members and see what we can do."  
  
Duo nodded and followed Zechs to the council room. All the council members were already assembled as the two entered the room and Zechs began immediately.   
  
"It could have been King Treize," said one man.  
  
"Or Queen Une," suggested another.  
  
"What about Princess Dorothy? She's always trying to start a war," another asked.  
  
Zechs held up his hands and silence fell over the room. "Now," he began. "Right now it's not who did it, but what are we going to do about it? Do we start a war with the kingdom that sent the assassin? Do we just ignore it? What do we do?"  
  
"No," Duo cried. "We can't go to war. We've only just recovered from the last war. If we had another war now it would completely destroy the kingdom."  
  
"He is right," said Joss, the chief advisor to the king. "If we had a war now, it would ruin the kingdom."  
  
Zechs nodded. "Yes," he said. "War is out of the question, but they killed our king. We can't just ignore it. What is to be done?"  
  
"Perhaps we should find out who is responsible for this," Joss responded. "And why they did it. Then maybe it will be easier to figure out what should be done."  
  
Zechs nodded his approval. "Yes, you're right," he said. "Duo and I will go interrogate the assassin. We will gather again when we have more information."  
  
Joss bowed and exited the council room and the other council member followed his example. Once they were gone Zechs turned toward Duo.  
  
"You ready?"  
  
Duo nodded. "Yes," he said. "Let's go."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Duo entered the cell before Zechs in case the assassin attempted to escape. To his surprise he merely looked up and did not move. As he moved further into the cell he realized the assassin was not a man, but a women. He stood there for a moment, looking at her. She was tall and slim. She had brown hair pulled into a bun and sparkling eyes.   
  
Duo looked into her eyes and saw exactly what he knew he would see. This girl was not a killer. She may have killed the king, but in her heart she was no killer. She did not do it just for the sake of killing. She had a reason for this, and a good one too. He was sure of that.  
  
"Who sent you?" he asked.  
  
She looked at him calmly for a moment, as if weighing him before responding. "And why would I give you that information?"  
  
Duo smiled slightly. "Perhaps you're name, if that is not too much information."  
  
She contemplated for a moment. "My name is Catherine."  
  
Duo nodded and, to Catherine's surprise, extended his hand. "I'm Duo."  
  
She stared at him in shock. "You're Duo?! Why would you risk coming in here to interrogate me in person. I could kill you. You're the prince. If I killed you too then this whole kingdom would be without a leader."  
  
Duo's soft laughter rang through the cell. "If you wanted to kill me you could have done it when you left my father's chamber or now, for that matter. Besides," he said, leaning forward so that his face was a mere inch from Catherine's face. "I may be the prince but I'm not the heir to the throne."  
  
"You're not," she said in surprise.  
  
"Nope."  
  
"But...but how? When? I would have known before I killed the king."  
  
Duo shook his head. "As a matter of fact, I was no longer the legal heir to the throne as of last night. Last night my father crowned my cousin, Zechs, as prince and heir to the throne."  
  
She just stared at Duo in complete shock before slumping against her chair. "I've failed," she muttered. "My life is forfeit, now. Death is the punishment for failure."  
  
Duo stared at her. "What do you mean you've failed?"  
  
She looked up at Duo and he could see fear in her eyes. "I was sent by Princess Dorothy to kill the king and prince so that your kingdom wouldn't have a ruler and would fall into chaos. She hoped that you would start a war with all the neighboring kingdoms to avenge the death of your king. I have only killed the king. There is still a ruler. I have failed," she said quietly. "And Princess Dorothy punishes failure with death."  
  
Duo shook his head in disbelief. "How can she be so cold-hearted?" he asked no one in particular. He turned back to Catherine. "You can't go back," he said.  
  
Catherine was startled. "I have to go back," she said.  
  
"Why?" Duo asked.  
  
"Well..."she began, but couldn't think of a reason.  
  
Duo smiled, knowing that this would happen. "Do you feel any loyalty to Dorothy? A love for your kingdom? Anything?"  
  
She shook her head. "No," she said. "Nothing."  
  
"Good," Duo said. "Then you'll be needing a room."  
  
He turned toward Zechs. "Have Quatre, Trowa and Wufei been released yet?"  
  
Zechs nodded. "They are being released as we speak," he said.  
  
"Good. Could you have Quatre and Trowa come here as soon as they are released?"  
  
Zechs smiled. "Of course. I will go get them."  
  
Duo smiled and turned back toward Catherine. "I'll have Quatre and Trowa prepare a room for you," he said.  
  
Catherine was surprised. "Why are you being so kind to me?" she asked. "I killed your father. You should hate me right now."   
  
Duo smiled. "You did kill my father," he said. "But I have nothing about him to miss."  
  
She was shocked. "He was your father," she said.  
  
Duo shrugged. "Yes, he was. But only my father. I loved him because he was the only family I had. My mother died after I was born. I gave him all the love I could muster and he never once returned it. He acted like he loved me, but he didn't. He thought of me as the Prince and spent all his time training me to be King after he was gone. He never once truly loved me as his son. He never wanted me to be happy. When I was finally happy he took my happiness away from me. No, I have nothing to miss."  
  
Catherine shook her head. "That's so sad," she said.  
  
Duo was about to respond, but was interrupted as Quatre and Trowa entered the cell. And he was glad for the interruption too.  
  
"Quatre! Trowa!" he said, hugging each of them. "I've missed you guys so much."  
  
Quatre grinned and even Trowa couldn't keep a small smile off his face. "Good to see you too," Quatre said.  
  
"What can we do for you?" Trowa asked.  
  
Duo smiled. "I know you guys just got out of the dungeon," he said, smiling apologetically, "but would you mind getting a room ready for Catherine?"  
  
Trowa nodded. "Why would we mind?" he asked. "It's our job. We'll let you know when the room is ready."  
  
"Thank you," Duo said, as the two servants left the dungeon. He turned back to Catherine. "Well, since you're room won't be ready for a while, I'm afraid you'll have to come to a council meeting with me," he said.   
  
"But, won't the council members be angry with me?"  
  
Duo shook his head. "Don't worry, Zechs is now king, and he won't let anything happen to you."   
  
She nodded and followed him to the meeting. Duo noticed that Wufei was standing in the corner and the council members were already engrossed in a noisy debate.  
  
"We have to avenge our king! We can't just let Princess Dorothy kill our king and not do a single thing about it."  
  
Zechs raised his hand and the entire room fell silent. "We are not going to fight," he said.  
  
"But, Your Highness...."  
  
"But nothing," Zechs said. "Princess Dorothy killed our king because she hoped we would start a war. If we do fight to avenge the king, then we'll be playing right into her hands. By not fighting, we are doing exactly the opposite of what she wanted. That in itself is avenging our king."  
  
"You are right, Your Highness," Joss said. "And it's a very wise move to make. Princess Dorothy won't be expecting it, and it will save the kingdom from another war."  
  
Zechs hurriedly finished the meeting and dismissed the council. He turned toward Duo. "How do you feel about setting out tomorrow?" he asked, smiling.  
  
Duo drew back in surprise. "You're coming with me?"   
  
"Of course," Zechs said. "I wouldn't leave you to search all by yourself. Joss is quite capable of taking over while I'm gone. He may be young but he was an excellent choice for chief advisor."  
  
Duo smiled and threw his arms around Zechs. "Thank you," he whispered. "You have not idea how much this means to me."  
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: Well, the end of another chapter. I'm working on Chapter 22 right now, so hopefully it will be posted soon. Please review. RurouniGirl 


	22. Chapter 22

A/N- Okay, Duo finally gets to see Heero again. Yay! Enjoy. ^_^  
  
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 22  
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
  
  
Duo sighed as he wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. Heero had to be here. They had searched every surrounding kingdom except King Treize's. He just had to be here. He missed Heero so much and at the moment, he had never felt so alone in his entire life. Zechs and his friends had traveled with him, so he shouldn't feel alone, but he did. All his friends had someone. Zechs had Wufei, Trowa had Quatre, but he didn't have Heero with him. And seeing how happy the couples were together made him miss Heero even more.  
  
He sighed and pushed his horse to move faster. It had started to rain and the cold rainwater cooled his body. He looked back to see if the others were keeping up. He smiled to himself. Zechs and Wufei were sharing a cloak to keep dry. Both were smiling and laughing. Quatre and Trowa were riding side by side and Trowa was leading Wufei's horse, since Zechs and Wufei were sharing a horse. Both boys were smiling and they had their hands locked together between them.  
  
Duo pushed forward, forcing himself not to look back. He coaxed his horse into a slow trot, into a faster trot, and finally a gallop. He urged his horse to run as fast as it could, letting the wind that whipped around him cleanse his emotions. But it wasn't enough.  
  
He came to an abrupt halt and dismounted. He tied to horse to a tree so that the others would pick him up when they reached him. Then he ran...he ran as fast as he could. His mind concentrated on the exhilaration he was feeling and the rhythm of every stride he took. This concentration took his mind off of his loneliness. This is what he had wanted...to know nothing but this feeling of exhilaration...no pain...no loneliness.... just the simple thrill you got from the feeling of freedom felt when running.   
  
He came to a halt, panting for air as he rounded a corner and King Treize's palace came into view. He stood on top of the hill and starred down, chest heaving, water dripping from his clothes, his unruly hair blowing in the wind. He turned at the sound of the approaching horses. They rounded the corner and stopped when they saw him.  
  
"Are you okay?" Zechs asked. "We were worried when we found your horse tied by the side of the road."  
  
Duo smiled. "I'm fine. I felt like running, that's all."  
  
Wufei smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "Almost there," he said.  
  
"Well," Duo said. "What are we waiting for? Let's get going."  
  
He mounted his horse and the others followed him as he made his way down to the castle. First, he asked King Treize about any outcasts he might have taken in. He had no luck whatsoever. King Treize didn't know of any new comers, but he had been far too busy to keep track of every new servant or villager that showed up. The next resort was for Duo to ask all the palace servants, since they would probably know better than the king.   
  
An few hours later found Duo stumbling into the kitchens. Noin looked up form her work and was immediately at the young boys side. She helped him over to a chair and placed a mug of hot broth in front of him.  
  
"Drink that," she commanded as she took the seat across from him. She watched him drink until she was satisfied he wouldn't fall over before questioning him. "So," she began, "what brings you here?"  
  
Duo managed a small smile. "My name is Duo," he said.  
  
Noin gaped. "You're Duo?" she said. "Prince Duo?"  
  
"Former prince," he corrected.  
  
Duo caught her wrist as she tried to jump up and pulled her back down. "What is it?" he asked. "Why do you seem so shocked?"  
  
She smiled and took his hand in hers. "I'll be right back," she said. "I have something for you."  
  
"For me?" he asked, surprised.  
  
She nodded and hurried out of the room. Duo, who was thoroughly confused, leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He knew Heero was here somewhere; he just had to find him. He sighed. It felt so good to just sit there with his eyes closed. He hadn't had any rest in months.  
  
"Duo?" said a tentative voice.  
  
His breath caught in his throat. His eyes snapped open and he spun around. Noin was standing in the doorway next to a very thin and pale Heero.   
  
"He...Heero," he whispered. He suddenly became aware that he was crying. He had found him. He had finally found Heero.   
  
The two boys just stood there looking at one another for a moment and then Duo ran to Heero and threw his arms around the other boy. Heero wrapped his arms around Duo and sobbed into his shoulder.  
  
"It's really you," he said through his sobs. "I can't believe it's really you. I missed you so much."  
  
Duo hugged the other boy even tighter. "I missed you more than anything," he whispered.   
  
Heero finally stopped crying. "Duo?" he asked quietly. "What about your father?"  
  
Duo smiled as he looked down at Heero. "My father was killed over 4 months ago," he said. "But, before he died, he made my cousin, Zechs, the legal heir to the throne. So, my cousin has no problem with you and me being together."  
  
Heero starred at Duo in disbelief. "You mean...I can come home? And we can be together without the king trying to kill me?"   
  
Duo nodded. "Yes," he said. "You can finally come home."  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: okay, good, bad, lame? Let me know what you think. Next chapter is on its way. RurouniGirl 


	23. Chapter 23

A/N- Well, this story is coming to an end. Only one or two more chapters left. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Thanks for reading. Glad you enjoyed it. Oh, this chapter might be a bit sappy and fluffy.   
  
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 23  
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
  
  
Duo looked over at Heero and grinned. The journey back had been a pleasant one and they were only a few hours away from the palace. He sighed. It would feel so good to be home and have a chance to spend some alone time with Heero.  
  
Heero smiled at Duo and reached over to take his hand. They road in silence enjoying the feeling of being together. The other four had ridden ahead to give them a chance to spend a little time catching up.   
  
Duo's horse came to halt at the top of a small hill and Heero's stopped beside him. Ahead of them stood the palace. Duo dismounted and motioned for Heero to do the same.  
  
He grinned. "I thought we could walk the rest of the way. Maybe go for a swim."  
  
Heero grinned back at him and grabbed his hand, dragging him off toward the pond. They stripped off their clothes and waded into the water. They swam until they were exhausted and then lay in the field looking up at the stars.   
  
Duo sighed contentedly. "The sky is so beautiful," he said. He turned his head toward Heero and was surprised to find the other boy staring at him. He smiled. "Is something wrong? Do I have dirt on my face or something?"  
  
Heero shook his head and leaned up on his elbow so he was looking down at Duo. "No, nothing like that," he said softly. "You just look so beautiful right now. It takes my breath away." He leaned down and kissed Duo softly at first and then deeper. Duo responded quickly by kissing him back. He slowly rolled over until he was on top of Heero. He looked down at the boy under him and laughed.  
  
"And what is it that you find so funny?" Heero asked, his eyes sparkling with merriment.   
  
Duo smiled. "Nothing," he said. "Just the thought of what I'm gonna do to you." He started to laugh.  
  
Heero pulled him down and silenced him with another kiss. "Quit laughing," he said softly, "and do whatever it is you're laughing about."   
  
Duo laughed and kissed Heero deeply.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
The two boys walked back to the palace hand in hand. It was past midnight, but both we're wide-awake. It was wonderful to be able to spend time together. Heero looked around a little nervously as the two of them entered the palace, but none of the guards took a second look at him.  
  
Duo smiled as Zechs came toward them, Wufei by his side. Wufei smiled at Heero.   
  
"It's good to have you back," he said.  
  
Heero nodded. "It's good to be back."  
  
"Duo! Heero!"  
  
They turned as Quatre and Trowa came hurrying down the hall.  
  
"We've prepared your room," Quatre said.  
  
"And Marcus wants to see Heero to make sure he is all right, what with losing all that weight and all," Trowa added.  
  
Duo nodded and took Heero to see Marcus. The old healer examined him thoroughly and then gave him a draught to drink every night before he went to bed for a week or two.   
  
"It will help you gain back the weight you lost and recover strength and sleep."  
  
Heero thanked the healer as Duo drug him out the door and toward the kitchens.  
  
"Come on," he said, "I'm starving."  
  
The two boys ate a hurried meal and then headed toward Duo's room. They were about halfway there when they ran into a familiar person.  
  
"Catherine," Duo said brightly.  
  
She smiled. "Hello, Duo."  
  
"How have you been?" he asked. "Getting along okay?"  
  
She nodded. "Yes. Everyone is so kind to me. I actually feel like I have a home."  
  
"Great. And is there a special someone yet?" he asked, grinning slyly. "I'm assuming there is, since you're dressed awefully nice and are going out at such a late time."  
  
She blushed bright red and nodded slowly. "Yes," she said. "It's Joss. He has shown such kindness to me and doesn't treat me like some of the people do." She smiled sheepishly. "I think I'm in love with him," she whispered.  
  
Duo smiled and gave her a squeeze on the shoulder. "I'm sure he feels the same way about you."  
  
She nodded. "Thanks for everything you did for me Duo. I really appreciate it."  
  
"Don't mention it. I was happy to help."  
  
"Well, I have to go meet Joss," she said. "I'll see you later."  
  
"Ok. See you Catherine. Have fun!" he called after her. He turned toward Heero. "You ready to turn in for the night?"  
  
Heero grinned and snagged Duo around the waist pulling him close to his body. "Of course," he whispered, his breath tickling Duo's ear. Duo squirmed, trying to break away but couldn't get loose.  
  
"Hey, let me go," he said laughing.  
  
Heero grinned and laughed. "Nope, not until you say the magic word."  
  
Duo twisted around until he was face to face with Heero. He looked straight into Heero's eyes and saw the love that was shining there. He leaned forward until his face was a mere centimeter from Heero's face. Heero could feel his hot breath on his cheek.  
  
Duo reached a hand up and cupped it around Heero's face. "I love you," he breathed softly.  
  
Heero smiled softly as he placed his hand over Duo's. "I know," he whispered. "I love you too. Very, very much." For a minute they just stood there looking into each other's eyes, then they leaned in and kissed each other. Not a soft sweet kiss like before, nor the deep kiss they had shared while they were swimming. This was a passionate kiss, a lover's kiss. All their love was placed into that one kiss and they knew that nothing would be able to keep them apart ever again. Nothing. No matter what, they would always be together.  
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: Yeah, I know it's kinda sappy, but I couldn't help it. This story sorta wrote itself. This is the final chapter. Anyway, I was thinking I might write a sequel. What do you think? Let me know, k? RurouniGirl 


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